


all the magic we gave off

by cerago



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, also several young avengers, and all the professors are regular avengers, background gertchase, bc it's comicsverse and i can do what i want, victor xavin and julie show up as well, yes this covers all seven years no i don't know what i was thinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-10-31 05:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17843309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerago/pseuds/cerago
Summary: But Karolina glows, sometimes, nebulas of dancing lights trapped under her skin. And once when she was eight, she fell out of a tree and just sort of floated to the ground, landing without a scratch. So all in all, the whole Karolina-is-a-witch explanation makes quite a lot of sense.(or: the deanoru hogwarts au)





	1. year 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello i'm back on my bullshit with an hpau, buckle up for a seven-year odyssey

The letter is a surprise.

Karolina is eleven, and she’s going to be starting middle school in September.

But in July, all her plans are thrown out the window when a woman calling herself Carol Danvers shows up at her house. She claims to be a witch - the head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in fact - and tells her family that Karolina needs to attend because she, too, is a witch, and has to learn to control her magic.

Her parents are disbelieving, at first. They’re fairly well-known actors, and having a magical daughter wasn’t part of their career plan.

But Karolina glows, sometimes, nebulas of dancing lights trapped under her skin. In some of her baby photos, even - secret ones, kept out of the albums they show the grandparents and hidden in a shoebox in the back of the closet - her skin shimmers purple. And once when she was eight, she fell out of a tree and just sort of _floated_ to the ground, landing without a scratch.

(She did it twice more, just to see if she could, before her mom caught her and made her promise to never do it again.)

So all in all, Professor Danvers’ whole Karolina-Is-A-Witch explanation makes quite a lot of sense, and it doesn’t take much convincing for her parents to come around.

The next month is a whirlwind. A different woman, Professor Bowen, comes to get Karolina her school supplies. They take the train into the center of London, to a shabby pub that no one else on the street seems to be able to see, and in the brick wall in the alley out back there’s a door to another world.

Diagon Alley is a long cobblestoned street lined with shops selling wares out of Karolina’s wildest dreams. Karolina gets long black robes and potion ingredients and a cauldron to brew them in and books full of magic and a barn owl to carry her mail.

And best of all, in a gleaming storefront labeled _Minoru’s_ and filled floor-to-ceiling with long, thin boxes, a magic wand _chooses_ her. She feels a sudden warmth in her fingertips and a surge of power through her body when she picks it up, and it shoots a rainbow of sparks into the air. The shopkeeper, a man with a kind face and round glasses, wraps it up for her with a smile and tells her to enjoy Hogwarts.

Back home, Professor Bowen helps her carry all her new things inside, tells her she’ll see her at Hogwarts, and disappears with a loud _crack!_

The second she’s gone, Karolina eagerly pulls out her new wand (willow and phoenix feather, twelve inches) out of its box. She cracks open one of her new spellbooks, rolls up her sleeves, and starts trying to levitate a spoon.

It works on the sixth try. She’s so excited she immediately loses concentration, and it falls onto the countertop with a clatter.

For the rest of the month, she reads late into the night, learning all about the new world she’s about to be a part of.

She can’t wait. This is gonna be _way_ better than middle school.

 

==

 

On September first, Karolina's parents’ driver pulls up to King’s Cross station.

Her mom isn’t with them, in the middle of shooting a new movie, but her dad is there. He loads her trunk onto a trolley, her new owl Rufus balanced securely on top in his cage, and helps her push it up to the wall between platforms 9 and 10.

Professor Bowen had explained how to get onto Platform 9 ¾, but Karolina is skeptical; the barrier looks very solid. After everything she’s seen so far, though, a secret platform inside the wall of a train station doesn’t seem that far-fetched, and so she takes her dad's hand and pushes her trolley forward.

It's heavy, and gathers momentum quickly. By the time she's about to hit the barrier, she couldn't stop if she tried - and then she's through, and they’re on a crowded platform with a scarlet steam engine idling on the track. The air is loud, owls hooting over the chattering of students.

Her dad has to get to the movie set as well, so he gives her a hug and is off, and Karolina drags her trunk along the platform, looking for a compartment not already full of students.

Halfway along the train, she finds one. At first glance it appears empty, but then she sees a small, black-haired girl that looks to be her own age, sitting with her head against the window.

“Hi,” Karolina says. “Is it okay if I sit here?”

The girl nods, and Karolina heaves her trunk onto the luggage rack and sits down across from her.

“Hey, I'm Karolina,” she says, and the girl turns away from the window to look at her.

“Nico.”

“Is this your first year, too?”

Nico nods.

“Cool,” Karolina grins.

She's about to ask Nico if she knew about magic before, but at that moment the compartment door opens.

A boy their age enters, closely followed by a girl with glasses.

“Hi,” the boy says. “Are these seats taken?”

“Nope, go ahead,” Karolina says, before realizing she should probably have checked with Nico first.

Nico doesn't seem too bothered by their new companions, though, watching their exchange with keen interest.

“My name’s Chase,” the boy says, plopping down in the seat next to Karolina, “and this is Gert.”

Gert waves from her spot next to Nico.

Karolina starts to introduce herself, but is drowned out by a loud whistle, and their seats vibrate under them as the train starts to move.

“Sorry,” Chase says, “didn’t catch that.”

“I’m Karolina,” Karolina says again.

Chase looks questioningly at Nico, but before she can say anything the door slides open again, and another boy enters.

“Hey, I’m Alex,” he says, taking one of the remaining empty seats, and then they have to start introductions all over again.

“Are you all first years?” Alex asks. They all nod, and he grins. “Great, me too.”

“What house do you think you’ll be in?” Chase asks eagerly, and Alex shrugs.

“I dunno. My mom was in Slytherin, so maybe there.”

“What about your dad?”

“He’s a muggle, so. Just have the one to go off of.”

“Oh,” Chase says. “My parents were both in Ravenclaw, but I don’t know if I’m smart enough for that.”

“Wait, what are we talking about?” Karolina asks, and they all turn to look at her.

“Sorry,” she says quickly. “No one in my family is magic at all— I just found out that all of this existed, like, a month ago.”

“Hey, no worries,” Nico says. It’s the most Karolina has heard her say since she entered the compartment. “My dad is muggle-born, too. It doesn’t make any difference.”

Karolina smiles gratefully at her.

“To answer your question,” Gert says. “Everyone at Hogwarts is in one of four houses— Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. They’re supposed to all have different qualities, so on the first day you get sorted into whichever one you most closely align with.”

“Wait!” Chase says, eyes wide. “If you didn’t even know about magic, does that mean you don’t know what Quidditch is?”

“Nope,” Karolina says.

“Aw, man,” Chase grins. “It’s the best sport ever.”

He starts to explain the rules, but Karolina only learns about the broomsticks and the four balls before Gert cuts him off.

“Anyway,” she says. “Where’s everyone from?”

 

==

 

Over the next several hours, Karolina learns about her new classmates. They’re all from wizarding families - Alex is the only other one with any muggle parents.

Gert’s parents do something complicated-sounding that involves mixing magic with regular - or, as she calls it, “muggle” - science. As a result, instead of bringing an owl to school, Gert has a giant lizard named Old Lace. An hour in, she lifts it out of its cage and it sits curled around her shoulders for the rest of the journey.

Chase is outraged about the rule that first years can’t be on their house Quidditch teams. He’s already talking about what position he’s going to try out for next year.

They speculate more about houses, too. Chase gives her the condensed summary - Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, Hufflepuffs are hard-working, and Slytherins are ambitious.

(“But,” Gert is quick to chime in, “obviously there’s more to it than that. Not everyone in a house matches its description.”)

Karolina likes all of them but she finds Nico fascinating, quiet as she is. Chase is doing most of the talking, but Karolina, Alex, and Gert are all definitely part of the conversation; Nico seems content to just watch.

After a while, a woman comes by pushing a trolley full of snacks. It’s all new to Karolina, and she has leftover wizard money from Diagon Alley, so she gets some of everything.

“Wanna share?” she asks Nico, who hadn’t gotten anything.

“Okay,” Nico says.

As the two of them eat their way through Karolina’s pastries and candy, Karolina draws Nico more into the conversation. She learns that Nico has an older sister, a third year in Ravenclaw (“the smart house,” according to Nico) and that her parents are wandmakers.

“Wait,” Karolina says excitedly, “is that their store in Diagon Alley?”

“Yep, that’s the one. My last name is Minoru.”

“That’s awesome. Very nice to meet you, Nico Minoru.”

Nico grins. “Nice to meet you too, Karolina Dean.”

Nico also explains Chocolate Frog cards and gives Karolina the ones she gets - Morgana, Cassandra, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

(She also gets Ginny Weasley, but Chase convinces her to give him that one - “Ginny Weasley is, like, the best Quidditch player ever, I’ve been trying to get that card for _years._ ”)

By the time it starts to get dark and they’re changing into their long black Hogwarts robes for the first time, Nico is talking and laughing with the rest of them.

When they disembark onto the platform, there’s a call for “First years! First years this way!” and the five of them get swept up in a crowd of other eleven-year-olds following a tall, thin man. As he leads them up along a rocky path, he introduces himself as Professor Parker, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher.

Around a corner, they get their first sight of Hogwarts castle across a great black lake. It’s breathtaking, a dark silhouette of turrets and towers against the night sky with windows lit up here and there. Eventually they come to the shore of the lake, where a number of small rowboats await them.

“No more than four per boat, please,” Professor Parker calls as the five of them try to cram into one.

“Okay, come on,” Nico says, grabbing Karolina’s hand and pulling her into the next boat over. They settle comfortably in, and as one the fleet of boats takes off smoothly across the lake.

The castle looms higher and higher above them until they sail through a curtain of ivy below it, disembarking in a hidden cove. Professor Parker takes them through a door, up a flight of steps, and into an immense entrance hall. There, they’re handed off to a Professor Walters, who leads them through a set of double doors into an even bigger hall where the rest of the school is already gathered around four long tables.

They line up between the two center tables, facing a very old, patched, and faded pointed hat on a stool.

A rip near the brim opens up like a mouth and the hat sings a song, giving a rundown more thorough than Chase’s of the traits corresponding to each house. When it’s finished the first years are called up one by one, the hat is placed on their head, and after a moment it shouts out the name of a house.

Of the five in their group, “Dean, Karolina” is first. She walks up to the front of the room on shaking legs and Professor Walters puts the hat on her head. The brim falls over her eyes, shutting out the hundreds of faces looking at her.

“Hmm,” says a small voice in her ear. “Curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge, certainly. But you’ve got loyalty, too, don’t you? Ah yes, loyalty, and quite a healthy amount of open-mindedness. I’ve got it,” (and Karolina can hear it shout the last word to the room at large), “Hufflepuff!”

The hat is pulled off her head and she scrambles off the stool and to the Hufflepuff table amidst a scattering of applause.

Next up is Nico. The hat takes a long time to decide, Nico’s hands white-knuckled as she grips the sides of the stool.

Eventually, it shouts out, “Slytherin!” and Nico pulls it off. Her eyes meet Karolina’s across the room and she gives her a small smile as she makes her way to the Slytherin table.

Chase is then sorted into Gryffindor, and Alex into Ravenclaw.

“Yorkes, Gert” is the last first year to be sorted, and she joins Chase at the Gryffindor table.

A feast follows the sorting, food appearing magically on the gleaming platters in front of them, and Karolina spends the whole meal in awe of her surroundings.

At the end of the evening, Professor Danvers welcomes them all to school and bids them good night, and Karolina and the other new Hufflepuffs follow a prefect out through the Entrance Hall and down a set of stairs to the right.

On the staircase, they mingle with Slytherin first years going in the same direction, and Karolina speeds up to fall into step nexto to Nico.

“Hey,” she says. “This place is amazing.”

Nico grins at her with enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”

“I can’t wait for classes. I hope we have some together!”

“Me too,” Nico says, and before she can say more the Slytherin prefect turns down another staircase and Nico waves goodbye to Karolina.

Karolina follows her own prefect down a wide, well-lit hallway lined with paintings of animals that actually move, one dog bounding after them through several paintings. They gather at the end of the hall around a large portrait of a girl with a golden retriever.

“Password?” the painting says, and Karolina stares.

“Mandrake,” the prefect says, and the portrait swings open like a door. They crowd through into a cozy, well-lit common room with big windows looking out over the darkened grounds. Shelves full of worn paperbacks line the walls, surrounding a room full of overstuffed yellow armchairs. Bowls of fresh fruit sit on tables scattered throughout the room.

Karolina only has a second to take it all in, though, before she’s directed up a spiral staircase with the other Hufflepuff first-year girls. Halfway up they find their dormitory, five four-poster beds hung with ochre curtains, and Karolina climbs into bed and falls asleep instantly.

 

==

 

The next morning Karolina wakes up early and is too excited to go back to sleep. She lies in bed until she starts to hear the rustling of her roommates waking up around her, and then she gets up, dresses, and heads down to breakfast.

She's halfway through her eggs and toast when Chase and Gert sit down across from her.

“Hey,” Chase says brightly.

Karolina has a mouthful of toast and swallows too quickly in her effort to respond, coughing a little as it scrapes unpleasantly down her throat.

A hand rubs soothingly across her back as she gropes for her water, and Nico slides in next to her.

“Hi,” Nico says. “Do you all have your schedules yet?”

Chase and Gert shake their heads, but Karolina got to breakfast early enough that she does. She pulls it out to compare with Nico's; they have Charms and Potions together.

“Cool,” Nico smiles.

By the time Chase and Gert get their schedules, Alex has joined them. Karolina has Herbology with the Gryffindors, and Transfiguration with Alex; Astronomy and History of Magic they all have together.

Karolina's first class is Defense Against the Dark Arts, which is Hufflepuff-only.

“See you at lunch?” Nico asks as she stands to head to class.

Karolina nods happily. “See you then.”

 

==

 

Over the next weeks and months, Karolina settles into life at Hogwarts. She, Nico, Alex, Gert, and Chase form a tight-knit friend group, sitting together at meals and studying as a group and hanging out during breaks.

(It’s a good thing that rules about sitting with your house at mealtimes have been relaxed - Karolina heard that before the war, you pretty much only ate with your house, and none of her new friends are in Hufflepuff with her.)

And it’s great that Nico is in her Potions class. Karolina isn’t _bad_ at Potions, exactly, but for some reason no matter how carefully she follows the instructions in the book it doesn’t seem to ever come out quite right.

Nico, though, is a natural. The two of them partner up on the first day of class and never switch, and - thanks to Nico - they do pretty well overall.

When they’re learning a particularly difficult concept, Nico’s forehead scrunches up in concentration, and sometimes during class Karolina catches herself staring at her instead of paying attention to Professor Walters at the front of the room. It’s not great for her already-mediocre Potions skills, sure, but Nico is always willing to explain the lessons to her later.

Homework is complicated, and unlike anything Karolina has ever done before. The five of them often claim a table in the library, poring over giant textbooks together; they look up the uses of various potion ingredients and the definition of a Switching Spell and write long and confusing essays on whether or not the goblin rebellion in the fifteenth century actually resulted in any sort of meaningful change.

Almost before Karolina knows it, three weeks have passed, and a notice goes up in the common room that flying lessons are starting this week.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are learning together, so on Friday Karolina makes her way down to the grounds with Alex. They meet the flying instructor, Professor Barton, on the Quidditch pitch, where there are two rows of broomsticks lying on the ground.

“I’ve never been good at flying,” Alex murmurs as they each line up beside a broomstick.

“I’ve never tried,” Karolina whispers back, “so you’re guaranteed to be better than me, at least.”

“All right, everyone,” Professor Barton calls out. “Does everyone have a broom? Good. Okay, now stick your dominant hand out over the broom and say ‘Up’!”

He demonstrates on his own, which jumps into his hand, and they all hasten to copy him.

Karolina’s broom flies into her hand immediately. Alex gets his eventually as well, but it seems to rise almost reluctantly.

Professor Barton walks up and down the line, correcting their grips and showing them how to sit astride the broom without sliding off the end. He instructs them to kick off, rise a few feet, and then lean forward slowly to return to the ground.

Karolina’s hands tighten around the handle of her broomstick, suddenly nervous as she prepares to fly for the first time. She’s been looking forward to flying ever since she learned she could, but what if she’s bad at it?

“Hey,” Alex says. “Don’t worry so much, it’s pretty simple.”

He takes off, hovering six or so feet off the ground.

Karolina exhales, forcing herself to relax as she looks up at him, and then pushes off the ground.

She wobbles a bit as she rises slowly, but by the time she reaches Alex’s height she’s holding the broom steady.

“See?” he says. “Not so bad.”

Karolina grins. She leans low over the handle, accelerating past Alex and looping around him before pulling her broom to an abrupt stop over his.

He laughs. “I should have known you’d be good at this.”

“Karolina,” Professor Barton calls. “That’s high enough for now.”

Karolina is buzzing as she returns to the ground with Alex. She loves flying, she decides; maybe Chase is onto something with his Quidditch obsession.

 

==

 

In the last week of October, their Charms teacher, Professor Rogers, announces that they’re ready to start learning how to make objects fly.

Karolina and Nico are already sitting at the same table, but when he tells them to get into pairs Karolina scoots a little closer to Nico just in case anyone else had any ideas.

Karolina is pretty sure she can do the spell, since she managed it once before she even got to Hogwarts, so she lets Nico go first. Nico tries, her face screwed up with determination, but the feather they’re supposed to be levitating just flutters along the table as though caught in a light breeze before stilling again.

Nico sighs, frustrated. “You try.”

Karolina hasn’t attempted this particular spell since the summer, but she concentrates hard - swish and flick, _Wingardium Leviosa_ \- and the feather rises off the table, hovering a few feet over their heads.

“Great job, Karolina,” Professor Rogers calls. “Ten points to Hufflepuff!”

Karolina glows with pride. Nico is looking at her in awe, and she feels warm inside in a way she can’t quite explain.

 

==

 

As the year goes on, Karolina gets more and more comfortable with the new world she’s found herself in, no longer staring at every bit of new magic she comes across.

(Except one day just after Christmas, when she’s walking through the grounds with Nico and Alex, they catch sight of an extremely battered, driverless blue car trundling through the Forbidden Forest. She stops at that.

To be fair, so do Nico and Alex.)

And then suddenly it’s June, and she’s almost done with her whole first year, and finals are coming up.

The five of them spend long hours in the library, memorizing the twelve uses of dragon’s blood and the key ingredients in Swelling Solution and practicing wand movements. More than once, they get kicked out for being too noisy and have to retreat to a common room instead. Though they have access to all of them, they generally end up in either Gryffindor’s or Hufflepuff’s - they’re usually louder, so no one minds if they talk, and they’re more likely to find an entire empty table to spread out across.

Karolina likes it best when they study in Gryffindor Tower. Because on these nights, when she, Alex, and Nico leave for their own respective houses at the end of the night, Alex heads in the other direction for Ravenclaw Tower and then it’s just her and Nico.

And Karolina loves all her friends, but Nico is her _best_ friend.

(And she knows that she’s Nico’s, too.)

With finals approaching, and every waking hour devoted to studying, it’s hard to find time for just the two of them. So Karolina cherishes the few minutes they spend between Gryffindor Tower and the junction when they go their separate ways. Sometimes they’ll take a less direct route, or else linger in the hallway where the corridor splits, just to have a little bit longer.

Nico opens up around her in a way that she doesn’t ever quite manage when they’re all hanging out in a group. She tells Karolina, one night when they’re walking back to their dormitories after a long day of studying, about how much pressure her mom is putting on her to perform perfectly. And how it’s even harder because of her genius, overachieving sister who’s already gotten top grades in everything, so it barely even matters if Nico gets succeeds because Amy did it first.

Karolina takes her hand at that and squeezes fiercely. And Nico smiles at her, and bumps her shoulder against Karolina’s.

The exams themselves are easier than Karolina thought they would be. Her Forgetfulness Potion isn’t the bright emerald it’s supposed to be, but it’s at least green instead of purple like the boy working next to her; the teacup she enchants in her Charms final makes its way through several successful cartwheels without falling once; and the mouse she transfigures into a wine glass doesn’t have any whiskers by the time she’s finished.

Then, there’s a week between the end of exams and the beginning of summer break.

Their group spends most of it outside, enjoying the warm sunshine they’d missed out on during the last few weeks that they’d been shut inside studying. They sit under the shade of an enormous beech tree by the lake and talk about their summer plans.

Gert is going to Norway. Her parents just discovered a new kind of fire-breathing lizard to study, so they’re taking the whole family on an extended vacation.

The rest of them are just going home. For once Karolina’s parents aren’t busy shooting a movie over the summer, so she might actually see them.

The journey home is bittersweet. On the one hand, Karolina is glad exams are over, but on the other she loves this world, and they’re not allowed to do magic while they’re at home. And, even more than magic, she loves her new friends, and it’ll be two whole months before she sees any of them again.

“Write to me,” Nico tells her when they’re exchanging their final goodbyes on Platform 9 ¾.

“Of course,” Karolina says. “You too.”

Nico pulls her into a tight hug.

(Karolina has already hugged her, along with the rest of their friends, but she’s not complaining about another one.)

“Have a good summer,” Nico says into her ear.

Karolina squeezes back, almost pulling Nico off her feet. “See you soon.”


	2. year 2

Karolina spends the summer counting down the days until September first.

Sure, she tells her parents all about the magic she did last year, but it’s not the same as actually doing it. And she misses her friends; she writes them all constantly, but owl post is excruciatingly slow compared to texting or email. Except apparently electronics don’t work around the amount of magic present in wizarding households, so owls it is.

(Once or twice, she considers trying the actual postal service, but the convenience of giving a letter to her owl in her living room over walking into town to get to the post office always wins out. It probably wouldn’t be any faster anyway.)

Chase tells her about his Quidditch training regimen. He’s going to try out for the Gryffindor house team as soon as they get back to school.

Gert sends her letters from Norway about the fire-breathing lizards her parents are studying. A few times she includes a picture, and Karolina stares in wonder at the enormous creatures ambling slowly through the frame.

Alex has a muggle parent, so he and Karolina spend a lot of time bemoaning the lack of technology in the wizarding world.

Nico’s letters are about nothing in particular - mostly updates on her life and complaints about how boring it is at home - but Karolina waits in constant anticipation for the Minorus’ great gray to swoop past the mailbox, usually running outside to retrieve the letter even before the owl has disappeared into the sky.

In the last week of August, Karolina’s parents take her to Diagon Alley to get her supplies for the new school year. The others are all busy, but she meets up with Chase outside Gringotts. He gives her a bear hug and immediately starts talking a mile a minute about his summer. By the time they get their new textbook ( _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ ), Karolina knows more than she ever needed to about every possible contender for Gryffindor Keeper this year.

They visit the apothecary to stock up on Potions supplies, and then Chase buys her ice cream so she’ll come with him to go look at the new broomstick models that have come out this year.

(“Isn't the new Firebolt awesome? I got the last one for Christmas so I won't need another broom for a little while, but my mom said if I make the house team she'll buy me one for next year anyway.”)

A week later, Karolina has just pushed her trunk through the barrier and onto Platform 9 ¾ when she spots Nico, standing outside a carriage halfway down the train talking to Alex.

She runs up and throws her arms around Nico’s neck.

“I missed you.”

“Karolina, you’re strangling me,” Nico chokes out, but when Karolina relaxes her hold a little she turns to smile fondly at her.

“I missed you too.”

She and Alex help Karolina load all her stuff onto the train, settling into their chosen compartment, and after a few minutes Chase joins them.

Just as the whistle blows and the outer carriage doors start to slam shut, Gert bursts in with another girl in tow.

“Hey everyone, this is my little sister Molly. She’s starting this year.”

“Nice to meet you!” Karolina says, and the rest of them make similar noises of greeting.

They’ve heard a lot about Molly over the past year from Gert, but this is the first time any of them has actually met her. She turns out to be nearly as bright and bubbly as Karolina, and they all take to her quickly.

The rest of the journey passes comfortably. Like last year, Karolina buys enough snacks for both herself and Nico, and the two of them eat their way through an enormous pile of Chocolate Frogs as they catch up on everything they forgot to include in their letters over the past two months. Soon enough, the train pulls into Hogsmeade station and they disembark.

Molly breaks off to join the rest of the first years in following Professor Parker across the lake, and the rest of them pile into a horseless carriage, which sets off bumping along the road.

When they reach the Great Hall they separate to their respective house tables to watch the sorting. Karolina claps hard when Molly ends up in Hufflepuff, and scoots along the bench to make room for her.

“Welcome to the best house!”

“Thanks,” Molly says, beaming. “Didn’t Gryffindor win the House Cup last year, though? Gert didn’t shut up about it for weeks. She’s convinced it was all her doing, since she got so many points for knowing the answers in Transfiguration.”

“We let them win,” Karolina says. She leans conspiratorially close. “Don’t tell Chase, though. I don’t think he could handle it.”

Molly laughs. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

 

==

 

Classes begin the next day. Karolina isn’t sure if it’s because they’re actually that much more difficult or if it's just that everything she learned last year leaked out of her head during the summer, but they’re all noticeably harder.

She and Nico have Transfiguration together this year instead of Charms, but luckily they’re still in the same Potions class. There's no way Karolina would be able to brew the new, more difficult recipes they’re learning this year without her.

It's not long before they all settle into their old routine. Molly incorporates seamlessly into their group, often joining them in the library. Because she's a first year and taking all the lessons they had last year, one of them will usually help her with her homework. Karolina doesn't mind - it's a good way to review old concepts, and it makes a nice change to explain Potions to someone else for once.

Quidditch tryouts are held on the third week of term. Not that any of them could forget, of course - Chase has been reminding them all incessantly since they boarded the train on the first day. And somehow, all five of them end up going to the Gryffindor tryouts to support him. They weren't necessarily planning to, but Chase convinced Gert, who dragged Molly and Karolina into going with her. And if Karolina was going it was a given that Nico was in, too, and then Alex decided that if all the rest of his friends were going then he might as well.

The Gryffindor captain, Miles Morales, laughs a little when a tall, gangly second year shows up with a posse of his mostly non-Gryffindor friends in tow and announces that he'd like to be Keeper. But his amusement morphs soon enough into genuine respect when Chase flies up to the goal posts and blocks everything the Chasers throw at him.

“All right,” he says to Chase, after a number of others have tried out. “Looks like you’re my new Keeper.”

Chase pumps his fist, accepting the high five that Gert offers him.

They hang around while he goes into a huddle with the rest of the new Gryffindor team, and after a while he joins them. He slings an arm each around Gert’s and Karolina’s shoulders as they set off back to the castle, talking them through every save he made during his tryout.

(Halfway through this spiel, Gert pokes him hard in the side and he doubles over, laughing but also - mercifully - shutting up.)

 

==

 

After the initial transitional shock of going from the muggle world back to magic school has worn off, the rest of the year passes fairly quickly. Karolina goes to class, and does homework, and cheers on Chase during Quidditch games, and hangs out with Nico.

In January, she turns thirteen.

Despite her insistence that none of them had to get her anything she wakes up that morning to a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed. Between Chase, Alex, Gert, and Molly, she gets a sweater, a book called _Quidditch through the Ages_ , and a giant sack of Chocolate Frogs. From Nico, she gets a card that bursts with rainbow sparks when she opens it - not Nico’s style, but certainly Karolina’s - and contains the somewhat cryptic message _real present coming later today._

Karolina spends the entire morning wondering what Nico has in store. She sees her briefly at breakfast, but Nico makes no mention of her card, only wishing Karolina a happy birthday along with the rest of their friends and exclaiming over Karolina’s new sweater.

Their last period before lunch is Transfiguration. Finally, on their way out of the classroom, Nico grabs Karolina’s hand.

“Follow me,” she says.

Karolina does, pestering Nico with questions all the while.

“What’s going on? Where are we going? I told you, you didn’t need to get me anything. But actually, what is it?”

“If I told you, that would ruin the surprise,” Nico says, but she smiles.

She leads Karolina to the third floor, stopping next to a statue of a one-eyed witch.

Karolina looks at her quizzically. She’s seen this statue before, walks past it every week on her way to Charms. What’s so special about it?

A moment later, her unspoken question is answered. “Dissendium,” Nico says, tapping the statue with her wand, and a large hole opens up in the statue’s back.

“This way,” Nico says, climbing feet-first into the hole.

“Where does it go?” Karolina asks, wide-eyed.

“You’ll see,” Nico says. “Come on, don’t you trust me?”

She winks at Karolina before disappearing down into the statue.

Karolina hesitates, but Nico’s face had been lit up with excitement, and Karolina _does_ trust her. So, after a quick glance left and right to make sure that no one else is in the corridor, she ducks through the opening as well.

She slides down a short stone chute, and lands hard but manages to keep her feet on the floor of a rocky passageway.

Nico is waiting for her at the bottom, and she lights her wand as Karolina joins her. “You ready?”

“What, this isn’t it?” Karolina says. “Because all I’ve ever wanted for my birthday is access to a weird, spooky tunnel under my school.”

“You’re hilarious,” Nico says. “It’s what’s at the _end_ of the tunnel, dummy. It’s a bit of a trek but it’ll be worth it, I promise.”

She offers Karolina her hand, lacing their fingers together.

They walk for what feels like hours, but what’s probably only fifteen or so minutes, until the passage starts to slope upwards. Karolina’s feet are freezing, but Nico’s hand is warm in hers. Eventually they come to a ladder, and Karolina follows Nico up through a trapdoor in the ceiling. They emerge into a crowded cellar filled with boxes, and make their way up a set of stairs (“Quiet as you can,” Nico says) and out into one of the most fantastic stores Karolina has ever been in.

It’s a gigantic sweet shop, filled floor to ceiling with shelves of various chocolates, barrels of Peppermint Toads, drawers full of Fizzing Whizbees and Licorice Wands and a hundred other fantastic and delicious-looking things Karolina has never seen before. She turns to Nico in awe.

“Where are we?”

“Honeydukes. In Hogsmeade? Once we’re third years we’ll get to come here on weekends sometimes, but Loki told me about the hidden passage last week and I thought it would make a cool present.”

She trails off a little at the end, seemingly uncertain at how Karolina will react now that she’s finally learnt where they are. (Not least because Loki Laufeyson, Slytherin fifth year and resident troublemaker, isn’t exactly Karolina’s favorite person. Last year he’d released a bag of enchanted water balloons in the corridor outside their History of Magic classroom, and Karolina’s socks had been wet for most of that afternoon.)

Karolina almost knocks Nico over with the force of her hug.

“This is amazing. Thanks, Nico.”

Nico grins proudly. “Happy birthday, Karolina.”

The two of them are only able to spend a few minutes in Honeydukes before they’re forced to return to the passage. They have class, after all, and need to get back to school before lunch is over, but the knowledge of their adventure sits warm in Karolina’s chest through the rest of the day and into her birthday celebration that night. It’s a Thursday, so they can’t do much, but they gather in the Hufflepuff common room after dinner and sing “Happy Birthday” and eat the cake Molly stole from the kitchens, six forks off of one plate.

Karolina is squashed in between Nico and Molly on the couch. Now and again she sneaks a glance at Nico, and more than once would swear that Nico was looking at her just a second before, her eyes flicking back to their group the moment Karolina looks over.

 

==

 

In May, they face the important decision of choosing new classes for the next year. The six of them crowd around a table in the library poring over the lists of classes and their descriptions. Molly can’t sign up until next year, of course, but she’s still eager to give her input about the various benefits of Ancient Runes vs. Divination.

Out of everything, the only class Karolina is really interested in is Care of Magical Creatures. It might just be her continued sense of muggle-born wonder, but she wants to learn everything she can about the magical animals in this world.

“I don’t know,” Nico says when Karolina asks if she’s going to take it with her. “Some of these other classes seem way more interesting.”

“Come on, please? Gert and Chase are doing it! And if you sign up I bet Alex will, too. It’ll be fun.”

Karolina gives Nico her best pout.

Nico sighs. “Fine. But you have to take Arithmancy with me.”

Now it’s Karolina’s turn to hesitate. “Isn’t that, like, the math one? Nico, I’m _terrible_ at math. That seems like it’s just asking for disaster.”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll help you anytime you need, I promise.”

“That’s gonna be like, every day. Are you sure you know what you’re signing up for?”

But Nico turns Karolina’s same pleading look back on her, and eventually she acquiesces. In part because Chase and Alex are signing up as well, so in the unlikely event that Nico’s ever unable to help her out she can always turn to one of them.

Gert flat-out refuses, opting to take Ancient Runes instead.

(All five of them completely ignore the entries for Divination and Muggle Studies. Karolina somehow doesn’t think that, after eleven years spent exclusively in the muggle world, there’s really anything else she needs to know about muggles. And one of the Ravenclaw prefects told Alex that Divination is worthless because studying won’t get you anywhere if you don’t have natural talent, and most of it is just fortune-telling and guesswork anyway.)

The last Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff, takes place just before exams. If Hufflepuff wins, Gryffindor will win the cup; they suffered a tough loss to Ravenclaw, but are sitting in second.

Chase is on the edge of his seat throughout the whole match. When, at the last minute, the Slytherin Seeker edges out Hufflepuff’s for the Snitch, he swears loudly and Gert smacks him lightly on the arm.

“Language!”

“C’mon!” he protests. “Out of all of us, _Nico’s_ team is the one that wins? She doesn’t care about Quidditch at all!”

“Maybe not, but my team is still the best,” Nico smirks from her spot next to Karolina.

Karolina nudges her shoulder. “Be nice.”

“Sorry,” Nico says, not sounding sorry at all. She arranges her face into a mock-serious expression.

“It’s okay,” Chase says. “Next year. We’re taking the cup back, you just watch.”

“I’m terrified,” Nico says drily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chase is a Good Jock™ and that's canon
> 
> this chapter is a little shorter/sort of filler bc it was originally bundled w/ year 3 before i decided to split it out, but hope u enjoyed anyway


	3. year 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina plays Quidditch and definitely doesn't have a crush on Nico

Karolina’s parents leave the country halfway through the summer, off to shoot a movie in Switzerland. In the past their long shoots abroad have meant she stays with an aunt, but this time she goes to Chase’s.

He invites her when she mentions it on the Hogwarts Express, on their way home for the summer.

“Come stay with me instead! My house is huge, and my parents won’t care.”

(Out of the corner of her eye, Nico is leaned forward like she was about to say something, but she drops it when Karolina accepts Chase’s invitation and settles back into her seat.)

Soon after Karolina’s arrival in late July, Chase convinces her to practice Quidditch with him. She’s hesitant at first - she hasn’t flown at all since the few lessons they took as first years - but she remembers loving it so much that before long she agrees.

Chase’s house is enormous, and his family’s broom shed isn’t a shed so much as it is a museum, each of the ten or so broomsticks in the room set on its own pedestal for display. The worst-looking broom here is still leagues better than the best school broom Karolina has ever ridden.

Chase walks once around the room, eyeing each broomstick appraisingly and detailing its pros and cons to Karolina in turn, before selecting one and tossing it to her.

“Here, I got a new broom this year so you can use my old one. It’s still really good, I swear.”

Karolina catches it by the handle, which is sleek and shiny and has the words _Firebolt X_ etched into the end in silver lettering.

Chase grabs his own (dimly, Karolina can make out _Firebolt XII_ on the side), and leads her out to the wide, expansive lawn behind his house.

“Why don’t we just fly around to start, and then maybe try out some passing once you’re comfortable,” he suggests.

“Okay,” Karolina agrees. Eager to fly again, she kicks off the ground without waiting for Chase.

Instantly, she remembers why she loved flying their first year. She feels _free,_ weightless as she soars over Chase’s head. The Firebolt, too, is a wild improvement from the school brooms, fast and smooth and turning at her lightest touch.

“Hey, wait up,” Chase laughs, jumping onto his own broomstick and racing to catch her.

Karolina speeds up, looping around him and diving towards the ground, pulling up short just as her toes skim the grass below. She hovers there, waiting for Chase to catch up.

“Holy shit,” he says, panting a little as he pulls his broom to a stop next to her. “You’ve flown, what, twice? Why aren’t you on the house team?”

“Three times, actually,” Karolina grins. “And I don’t know, I guess I’ve never really thought about it. There aren’t that many positions, I dunno if I’d make it.”

“Okay,” Chase says, “well, we’ve got a month. We can figure out what position you’re best at, and then when we get back to school you definitely have to try out.”

Karolina agrees, in part to humor him but also because being on the Hufflepuff team - getting to fly, all the time - actually sounds pretty amazing.

They spend the rest of the summer practicing. As a child with an excess of money and not much supervision, Chase has accumulated quite the Quidditch setup. He has a set of balls, several Beater’s bats, and Keeper’s gloves, and three goalposts are a permanent fixture on one end of the lawn.

He starts her out at Chaser, only half-heartedly denying it when Karolina accuses him of just wanting her there so he can work on Keeping at the same time. She’s pretty good, and even once they move on to other positions they sometimes go back so Chase can practice.

She’s less proficient at Beater. Though her hand-eye coordination is good, her thirteen-year-old arms don’t quite have the power required to be really effective.

Next they move to Keeper, but only briefly. Karolina thinks it’s because Chase doesn’t want the competition, but he insists that Teddy Altman, Hufflepuff’s Keeper from last year, will be captain this year so the position won’t even be open.

Finally, she tries Seeker, and here Karolina feels that she’s finally found her forte. She has next to no frame of reference, but according to Chase she tends to find the Snitch - enchanted, of course, to not fly outside the confines of the lawn - remarkably quickly. Again and again, she spots a glimmer of gold from across the lawn and speeds toward it on Chase’s Firebolt until she’s level with the walnut-sized ball, reaching out to grab it.

(Chase cheers every time she catches it.)

“Alright,” he says, at the end of the first day she tries Seeker, “that’s settled then. I’d like everyone to meet our new Hufflepuff Seeker, Karolina Dean!”

Karolina flies close enough to sock him in the shoulder.

“Shut up, I haven’t gotten it yet.”

“Yeah,” he grins, “but it’s only a matter of time. Hufflepuff's Seeker last year just graduated, so you’re definitely in with a shot.”

Karolina smiles, taking her broom in a lazy loop around the goalposts where he’s hovering.

“Thanks, Chase.”

On the last day of the summer, he gives her the Firebolt X.

“Honestly, I never even fly it anymore. Take it!”

Karolina does, giving him an enormous hug with her new broomstick clutched tightly behind her back.

 

==

 

Back at Hogwarts, the whole squad goes to the Quidditch pitch to support Karolina on the day of Hufflepuff tryouts. (Alex initially complains a little about having to go to the tryout of a house he’s not even in a _second_ time, but immediately receives such threatening glares from both Chase and Nico that he quickly backs down and agrees to go.) Chase keeps up a relentless stream of encouragement all the way to the pitch, and Karolina’s nerves have just started to abate when she sees how many people have showed up. There’s a veritable crowd of Hufflepuff Quidditch hopefuls on the field, and most of them look to be older than her.

A hand slips into her own, and she looks over to see Nico beside her.

“You got this,” Nico says, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Karolina smiles gratefully at her. She takes a deep breath, steels herself, and joins the throng of people on the field while her friends peel off into the stands to find seats.

Teddy Altman, the Hufflepuff captain and Keeper, is tall and blonde and broad-shouldered. At the start of the tryout, he has them divide into groups based on their intended position and fly around the stadium.

Karolina’s heart is in her throat as she mounts her Firebolt alongside the other Seekers. As she kicks off and rises into the air, she looks down at her friends in the stands; Chase is actually standing on his seat to give her two exaggerated thumbs up. She catches Nico’s eye, and Nico smiles at her, and she feels braver.

After a few laps they touch down. Teddy dismisses some of the weaker fliers, leaving Karolina and five others.

He’s running tryouts by position: Chasers are first, and Karolina sits with the other remaining Seekers in tense anticipation for forty-five minutes while he narrows the field down to three.

Next he chooses the Beaters, a process that involves another half hour of waiting.

Finally, he calls the Seekers over.

“Okay,” he says. “You’re going to go one at a time, and I’m going to see how long it takes each of you to catch the Snitch. Once you’ve all gone I’ll narrow it down to two people, and those two will go at the same time. Any questions? No? Okay, great. Who wants to go first?”

A boy to Karolina’s right swaggers forward, and Teddy nods at him, pulling the tiny Snitch out of the ball crate.

“On my go,” he says. He releases the ball, and Karolina sees it flit upward for a moment before it disappears into the sky.

“Three, two, one…”

The boy takes off. Despite his initial confidence, he loops around the pitch for close to fifteen minutes before he finally spots the Snitch, high up near the goalposts at one end, and snags it out of the air.

“All right, well done,” Teddy says when he’s back on the ground. “Who’s next?”

Karolina watches candidates two, three, and four each make their attempt. Two and Three are both even slower than the first Seeker, but Four, a girl that looks to be several years older than Karolina, catches it in barely over five minutes.

Not wanting to go last, Karolina volunteers when Teddy asks for the next person. He releases the Snitch, and ten seconds later sends Karolina into the air.

She circles the pitch, scanning for a glint of gold. On her third pass she spots it, hovering near the foot of the goalposts.

She dives.

The Snitch skirts around the far post and away from her, but she speeds up, gaining ground until she catches it. She returns to the ground and Teddy looks at her, impressed.

“Four minutes. Nice.”

Karolina grins.

The last person to go takes more than ten minutes, and it’s to the surprise of none of them when Teddy chooses Karolina and the girl that went before her to compete for the position.

After a brief argument with one of the rejected players, Teddy instructs them to set up facing each other. He flies up above them, and Karolina sees a brief flash of gold as the Snitch flies out of his hand.

“Ready,” he says. “Go!”

Karolina kicks off hard, soaring down the pitch, and her opponent shoots off in the opposite direction. They spend several minutes weaving around each other, each looking for the Snitch while simultaneously watching the other for any indication that they’ve seen it.

Finally, Karolina finds it. It’s down at the end of the field near her opponent, but the other girl doesn’t look like she’s spotted it yet, so Karolina waits, keeping an eye on both the ball and the distant figure flying opposite her, until they’ve done another half lap. When she’s positive that she’s closer, she takes off, flattening herself to her broom handle in an attempt to go faster.

The other girl notices immediately, yanking her broom around and accelerating in Karolina’s direction, but she’s too late, and seconds later Karolina has the ball clutched triumphantly in her fist.

“Well done, both of you.” Teddy says as they return to the ground in front of him. “If I could take you both, I would, but unfortunately there’s only one position. So, Karolina! Welcome to the team.”

Karolina smiles happily.

She shakes hands with the other girl and then stays on the field just long enough to get the practice schedule from Teddy before dashing off to where her friends are waiting on the sidelines.

Chase is the first to greet her, wrapping her up in a giant hug that almost lifts her off her feet.

“Congratulations! I knew you could do it.”

Through his arms, Karolina can hear (slightly muffled) congratulations from the rest of the group. She’s finally released from Chase’s hold only to be pulled immediately into another hug, this one from Nico.

“Great job,” she says into Karolina’s ear. “You looked amazing out there.”

Goosebumps erupt down the side of Karolina’s neck where Nico’s breath hits, but she chalks it up to leftover adrenaline.

 

==

 

Between the new addition of Quidditch practices to her schedule, Karolina settles into her chosen new classes.

She loves Care of Magical Creatures. At first they only look after flobberworms, an animal that seems to have no magical purpose - or purpose at all, really - other than their use in Potions, but they soon move onto knarls - basically magical hedgehogs - and soon after that, fire-breathing salamanders. And Professor Parker hints that, if he can catch one, later this year they’ll move onto unicorns.

(Even Nico, who had so far taken a more hands-off approach to the class and Karolina handle most of the creatures they studied, had perked up at that one.)

Arithmancy, as she had predicted, is much harder. But, true to her word, Nico helps her through the homework.

“Wow,” she says, halfway through a particularly difficult problem set, after Karolina has gotten every answer so far wrong. “You weren’t kidding about being bad at math.”

“I told you,” Karolina says. She leans back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. “It barely makes sense when it’s just numbers, and now they’re throwing letters in there? Who decided that was okay?”

“No, look,” Nico says, tugging at Karolina’s arm to pull her attention back to the paper in front of them. “The letters are actually still numbers, we just use letters because we don’t know what they are yet. That’s the whole point.”

Karolina groans.

“Come on, you can do this. You’re one of the smartest people I know,” Nico says.

Karolina narrows her eyes at her, and then sighs, “Fine.”

She lets Nico talk her through the question and its solution without complaint, and then manages to solve the next one with only minimal help.

“See?” Nico says, “I told you you could do it!”

“Okay, maybe,” Karolina acknowledges. “Why did I let you talk me into taking this, again?”

“Because you love me,” Nico says, grinning. “Just two more and then we can do the Charms homework, and you can feel good about how much better you are than me at Charms. And for the record, I love you too.”

Karolina bends lower over the problem set in front of her, trying to convince herself that the warmth at the base of her stomach has only to do with Nico complimenting her Charms ability.

 

==

 

Now that they’re third years, they get to visit Hogsmeade on select weekends. And it’s school-sanctioned now, so they can walk to the village along a wide, sunny road rather than an illicit underground tunnel. Besides, last year they’d never gotten much farther than Honeydukes. Twice they’d snuck into Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, but Karolina’s trepidation at getting caught out-of-bounds nearly always won out over Nico’s desire to explore.

(The passage to Honeydukes still comes in useful, though; without it Molly, the only second year among them, wouldn’t be able to come. Last year it had been just Nico and Karolina’s - Karolina had the impression that Nico wanted the tunnel to stay between them, and she was more than happy to keep it that way. It was thrilling, to be able to sneak out of the castle with Nico when not even the rest of their friends knew where they were - but she hadn’t been able to take Molly’s disappointment at not being able to go along with them this year, and had given up their secret.

Gert had looked at her thoughtfully, when she mentioned that the route had been Nico’s birthday present, but hadn’t said anything beyond berating Karolina for not sharing the information sooner.)

Even if the trips were boring, Karolina thinks, it would be worth going just to get off the castle grounds for a few hours. But as it turns out, she loves everything about the village: the joke shop and the bar and the post office and the creepy, boarded-up Shrieking Shack perched up on a nearby hill.

A winter storm blows in the night before the last trip before Christmas. The five of them walk to the village bundled up against the weather, moving quickly in an attempt to stay warm. Molly meets them outside Honeydukes, identifiable by the copious amounts of curly hair poking out from under her pink hat.

They’re all covered in snow by the time they make it to the Three Broomsticks, relaxing as they’re enveloped in the warm air of the pub. Gert drags Chase to the bar to get them all drinks, and Nico, Molly, Alex, and Karolina find an empty booth in the back, shedding their heavy outer layers as they go.

Before long Chase and Gert arrive at their table with six butterbeers. Nico scoots along the bench to make room for Gert, and in doing so presses closely up against Karolina. They fall into easy conversation, all looking forward to the upcoming winter break and the corresponding respite from homework. Karolina, for some reason, is hyperaware of how much of Nico’s body is touching hers, but she manages to enjoy herself as they discuss plans for their time off.

At long last they’ve all finished their butterbeer and decide they need to get going if they want to make it back to the castle before it gets dark. Karolina breathes a covert sigh of relief when they slide out of the booth and Nico’s leg loses contact with her own.

“Hang on,” Nico says, as Karolina stands up. “You’ve got some—”

She reaches up, wiping a speck of butterbeer foam off of Karolina’s upper lip.

Karolina’s breath catches, her eyes caught on Nico’s face, the way her nose and the tips of her ears are still residually pink from the cold outside.

She shakes it off, thanking Nico and moving with their group towards the exit. But it’s been happening more and more often, this new way that she freezes up a little when Nico looks at her a certain way. And she wants to be around Nico, like, all the time.

But that’s totally normal, right? Nico is her best friend. It’s nothing she needs to pay much attention to.

 

==

 

Hufflepuff’s second match is against Gryffindor, and it’s _heated_.

(The first was against Ravenclaw, and it was almost easy. Despite her nerves, Karolina had caught the Snitch half an hour into the game, securing Hufflepuff’s first win of the season.)

This time, the stakes are higher. Not least because Gryffindor’s team this year is much better than Ravenclaw’s, but also because it means she’ll be playing against Chase.

He wishes her good luck before the game nonetheless, but makes sure to qualify it with “but not too much luck. You caught the Snitch last game, so maybe let the other Seeker get it this time. Gotta stay humble.”

“Ha ha,” Nico says drily. She pulls Karolina into a hug.

“Good luck,” she says, pressing a fleeting kiss to her cheek.

They part, Karolina and Chase to their respective locker rooms and the rest of them into the stands.

(Karolina’s face is burning where Nico kissed her the whole time she’s changing into her canary yellow Quidditch robes, but she pushes it away so she can focus on the game.)

The game itself is long and taxing. Karolina scours the stadium for more than an hour, but the tiny golden ball remains elusive. Meanwhile, the score on both sides climbs slowly; with the Snitch nowhere in sight, the match becomes a fierce battle between the Chasers. Every time Karolina flies near Chase’s end of the field she can see that he’s dripping with sweat, his whole body tense in preparation for a Hufflepuff shot on goal.

Gryffindor is in the lead by sixty points when Karolina finally spots the Snitch. She speeds towards it, and from the opposite side of the pitch the Gryffindor Seeker does the same. Karolina gets there a second before he does, his fingers scrabbling against the back of her arm as she snatches it out of the air.

The whistle blows, and she returns to the ground.

“Great job,” Teddy tells her. He looks exhausted.

“Thanks,” Karolina grins.

Chase runs up to her when she leaves the locker room half an hour later, hugging her tightly.

“Congratulations! I’m so proud of you.”

“Even though we beat you?” Karolina laughs.

“Even then,” Chase confirms. “I’ll get you next time, though. You just wait.”

His eyes linger on her face when he pulls away, but before he can say anything else they’re joined by their friends.

Nico gives Karolina an unreadable look as she approaches, eyes flicking from her to Chase and back. But it’s gone so fast that Karolina wonders if she imagined it, as Nico congratulates both her and Chase on the game.

 

==

 

Despite their strong 2-0 start, Hufflepuff doesn’t win the Quidditch cup. In their last game of the year against Slytherin, they go down in a crushing defeat 210-60, and Slytherin secures their own league victory along with the win. The Slytherin Seeker noticed the Snitch a split second before Karolina did, and it made all the difference.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Teddy says to her as they touch down. “You flew really well today.”

Karolina nods, forcing a smile, but she’s still upset with herself. She changes quickly and leaves the locker room before her friends can fight their way through the crush of people heading out of the stadium, turning her back on everyone going into the castle and instead wandering down to the lake.

She settles under a tree, wrapping her arms around her knees. In her mind she goes over everything she could have done differently, anything that might have gotten her team the win.

Not five minutes later, Nico appears beside her.

“How did you find me?” Karolina asks, as Nico drops to the ground next to her.

“I followed you from the field. Everyone else is going back inside for lunch, you weren’t exactly hard to spot.”

“Great,” Karolina sighs.

“Hey,” Nico says, when Karolina continues to stare moodily out across the lake. “I may not know anything about Quidditch, but according to Chase you did great today, you just got unlucky. And he should know, that boy knows more about sports than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Maybe,” Karolina says. Her voice sounds thick, and she furiously swallows down the lump in her throat. “I still feel like I let my team down, though. I could have done more.”

“Yeah, maybe you could have,” Nico says. “And maybe if you had just seen the Snitch a little faster you’d be a Quidditch champion right now.”

Karolina turns toward her, her gloom morphing halfway into anger. “Wow, thanks a lot.”

“But you know what?” Nico continues, her expression fierce. “You didn’t, and there’s nothing you can do about it now, and that’s okay. And no matter how your team feels, you have some pretty great friends that don’t care one way or the other. Also, if your team tries to give you shit, let me know and I’ll beat them up for you.”

“Thanks,” Karolina says, turning towards Nico. For all that she's still upset, she's touched that Nico came to find her. That she knows Karolina well enough to not let her wallow in her own self-pity. “It's just frustrating, we were so close to winning the whole thing.”

“I know,” Nico says. “But it's only your first season, you have time. And two out of three wins is still pretty damn good.”

“I guess,” Karolina allows. Despite herself, she smiles.

“That's the spirit,” Nico says, grinning back at her. “Now come on, I’m hungry and if you don’t stop moping we’re going to miss lunch.”

She scrambles up, offering Karolina her hand.

Karolina takes it, letting herself be pulled up, and then suddenly Nico is awfully close. And Karolina is struck by just how much shorter Nico is than her, and how pretty her eyes are, accented by the winged eyeliner she's taken to wearing. Before she realizes what she’s doing, her eyes drop to Nico’s lips.

Nico swallows hard, seemingly just as frozen as Karolina, before she breaks their eye contact and leads Karolina back to the castle.

But she doesn't let go of Karolina's hand.

 

==

 

The last Hogsmeade trip of the year is the day after the end of exams. It’s the middle of June and it’s beautiful out, and they spend the day wandering aimlessly around the different shops.

On the way back, Karolina slings an arm each around Gert and Nico.

“I love you guys.”

“Aww, love you too,” Gert says.

“Gross,” Nico says.

Karolina pinches her arm. “Hey, I mean it! You guys are the best.”

Nico wrinkles her nose, but she says, “You’re pretty cool too, I guess,” and Karolina beams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> karolina and nico are idiots with no chill and that's that on that
> 
> comments/kudos give me life + yell on me on tumblr @lyrikaokano


	4. year 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you know how goblet of fire is like the transitional book between "look at these friends having a good time at wizard school" to "voldemort is back and they have to fight him and face their own mortality" yeah this chapter is like that except instead of the back half being death and destruction it's Teen Angst™

Karolina Dean doesn’t like girls.

(And even if she does, there's no way she likes Nico. At least not like _that._ )

Karolina’s mom is taking a much-needed few months off this summer and insists that they need some "girl bonding time" now that Karolina goes to boarding school, so Karolina spends the summer at home. Except after barely two weeks of hiking and making cookies and watching the old Disney movies Karolina used to love, her mom tires of their shared activities and instead starts going over scripts for her potential upcoming projects.

So Karolina spends most of her time alone, trying to convince herself that she's straight before her brain kicks in with examples that might indicate that no, she's probably not.

(Her best friend Sofia when she was eight, and the art teacher she had in grade five that used to use Karolina's work as a model for the rest of the class. And now Nico.)

Honestly, she wishes she were back at Chase’s. No matter how great muggle technology can be she misses the magical world, and at Chase’s house they could play Quidditch. At home there’s nothing to do but sit around and binge watch _One Day at a Time_ on Netflix and not think too hard about why she likes Elena so much.

Finally, after two months of nothing but her friends’ letters and her own distracting thoughts for company, it’s the first of September and she gets to go back to Hogwarts.

(And if, when she reunites with her friends on Platform 9¾, she hugs Nico the tightest and the longest, it’s only because Nico is her best friend, and definitely not for any other reason.)

Once they’re back in the castle Karolina is so busy that it’s easy not to think about any sexuality crisis she may or may not be having. Classes start up immediately, and even though OWLs aren’t until fifth year their professors are already talking about how important it is to prepare. So not only are classes harder, but their homework load is dramatically larger. There’s one particular book they’re given to read for Charms, two weeks into term, that’s so thick Karolina almost laughs when Professor Rogers hands it to her - there’s no way she’s going to be able to shove all that information into her already-full brain.

And on top of classes, she has Quidditch practice three times a week. With their second-place finish in the Cup last year, Teddy is working them harder than ever to win this year, and Karolina staggers into bed after each training session so exhausted that she falls asleep immediately.

Eventually, though, it’s unavoidable.

In a surprising turn of events, it’s not Nico’s fault but Chase’s - though, in hindsight, Karolina maybe should have seen this coming. The day before Halloween, he catches up to her at the end of their Transfiguration class.

“Hey,” he says. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Karolina nods, and with a quick wave to Gert to go on without them he leads her down the hallway away from their classmates.

“So, um, there’s a Hogsmeade trip next weekend, did you see?”

Karolina had, but she hadn’t thought much about it; their visits to Hogsmeade have a pretty solid routine, not warranting much extra consideration. Besides, her first Quidditch match of the year is the weekend after that and at this point Teddy is insisting on almost-nightly practice. She barely has time to do all her homework, much less think about Hogsmeade.

“Yeah?”

“Cool,” Chase says, “great.”

He looks nervous, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his robes. “I was just, um. Wondering if you wanted to go with me?”

“Oh!” Karolina says. “Like— like a date?”

“Well, yeah,” Chase says, looking more nervous still.

“Oh,” Karolina says again.

Chase is objectively good-looking, she supposes, and he’s one of her best friends. And even if she’s not sure if she likes boys at all she owes it to herself to at least try once, right?

She agrees before she can talk herself out of it.

“Um, yeah, sure. Okay.”

Chase grins. “Awesome.”

They stand there awkwardly for a second, not quite able to meet each other’s eyes.

“Um, well, I have to get to Charms,” Chase says. “See you later?”

“Yep,” Karolina says.

Her stomach twists a little as he walks away, and she tells herself it’s just pre-first-date jitters.

 

==

 

The next Friday at dinner, Nico and Gert are deep in discussion about what they should do in Hogsmeade the following day when Karolina arrives at the table. She hovers awkwardly at the periphery of their conversation, not wanting to contribute.

She still hasn’t told Nico - or anyone, for that matter - about her date with Chase. She’s not entirely sure why; she’s perfectly entitled to go on dates with whoever she wants. But every time she’s thought about bringing it up with Nico over the past week, her mouth goes dry and her palms get clammy until she decides to put it off yet again.

Nico turns to her then. “Where do you think we should go first, Honeydukes or Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes?”

“Well, Molly is for sure going to want to go to Honeydukes first,” Karolina says. “But, um. I’m— I’m actually going with Chase, tomorrow?”

“Oh,” Nico says. “Just the two of you?”

“What, you mean like a date?” Gert butts in.

“Yeah, I think so,” Karolina says. “Yeah. Yes. Like a date.”

“Ah,” Gert says. “Wow, okay, cool. I’m happy for you.”

She doesn’t look particularly happy though, and when Karolina looks back at Nico she’s wearing an expression similar to Gert’s.

“Whose idea was this?” Nico asks, carefully avoiding Karolina’s eyes.

“His,” Karolina says. "He asked me last week."

“Cool,” Nico says. “Well, we’ll see you there, maybe.”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Karolina says, injecting false enthusiasm into her voice and hoping Nico doesn’t notice how forced it is.

The rest of dinner is awkward at best, though it’s alleviated to a degree when Molly shows up and spends the remainder of the meal chattering about everything she wants to see in Hogsmeade the next day, and how excited she is to get to walk to the village with the rest of them instead of having to take a "gross dark tunnel." Karolina gets the impression that Nico is looking at her, but every time she glances over Nico is focused intently on Molly.

Karolina goes to bed that night puzzling over the whole situation. Gert’s reaction to the date makes sense, she thinks - she’s had an inkling for the past few months that the other girl has a bit of a crush on Chase. Nico’s, though, is a little more perplexing. What objection could she have to Karolina and Chase getting together? Does Nico like Chase, too?

She still hasn’t figured it out by the time she falls asleep, and the next morning at breakfast Nico’s behavior towards Karolina is perfectly normal. Karolina is just questioning if she’d completely imagined Nico's weird reaction the night before when Chase shows up, and Nico shuts down again.

“Hey, Karolina,” Chase says, faltering a little at the stony expression on Nico’s face but recovering quickly. “Ready to go?”

“Yep,” Karolina says. “See you later, guys.”

On impulse she kisses Nico’s cheek before she she gets up, and wonders as she follows Chase out of the castle if she’d imagined the slight blush that spread across Nico’s face at the action.

To Karolina’s relief, her and Chase’s walk to Hogsmeade isn’t nearly as stilted or awkward as their painful exchange the previous week. He’s her friend, after all, and hanging out with him feels more or less the same as it has for the last three years.

They go for butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, and Karolina starts to think that this might actually work out. But Chase reaches across the table during their conversation and takes her hand, and she’s hit with the sudden realization that no, it won’t.

(It turns out that a date with a friend feeling familiar and comfortable in the way this one does isn’t a great indicator of any sort of romantic spark.)

She needs to tell him. The way he’s looking at her like he thinks this is going well is making her skin feel too tight, and she never should have let it get this far. But they’re surrounded by other students and he deserves to know _why_ and she can’t have anyone else know, not yet.

She pulls her hand away. “Want to go on a walk?”

Chase gives her a confused look as they abandon their half-finished mugs of butterbeer at the table, but follows her outside anyway. Once they’re out the door, Karolina sets off down the street so fast that Chase almost has to jog to keep up.

“Karolina, what’s this about?”

“Hang on,” Karolina says. Even to her, her voice sounds higher than normal.

She keeps walking until they’re on the winding, deserted road leading to the Shrieking Shack before she stops and turns to face him.

“Okay, here goes.”

Karolina takes a deep breath, steeling herself, and then finds she can’t say it.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me, no judgement,” Chase says. He half-grins ruefully, like he knows she’s about to reject him. “I can take it.”

When Karolina continues to stand frozen and silent, he looks at her concernedly. "Karolina?"

“I think I’m gay,” Karolina blurts out. Her heart is pounding and her palms are sweaty, but once the words are out it’s easier to just keep going.

“And I pretty much knew before you asked me out, but I thought I should just _try,_ to be sure, which totally wasn’t fair to you and I’m really sorry and—”

“Hey,” Chase says, cutting her off. “Hey, don't worry about it, it’s okay.”

He pulls her into a hug, and Karolina clutches at the back of his robes. She’s crying a little, out of sheer relief. The weight that’s been pressing down on her for weeks isn’t gone per se, but it feels less, somehow.

He pulls back, holding her at arm’s length. “Am I the first person you’ve told?”

She nods and he hugs her again, resting his chin on the top of her head.

“Thanks for telling me.”

Karolina swipes at her eyes with her sleeve.

“Sorry again for using you to test my sexuality.”

Chase laughs. “I mean, it’s not my ideal first date, but what are friends for? Speaking of which, are you going to tell everyone else? Honestly, I’m surprised Nico doesn’t know yet.”

Karolina shrugs with faux-nonchalance, and he looks at her sympathetically.

“You know she won’t care, right?”

“But what if she does,” Karolina says. “What if it changes everything, and she doesn't wanna be friends with me anymore? She’s my best friend.”

“Hey,” Chase says. “Nico loves you, we all do. She’ll support you no matter what. And if she doesn’t, I’ll beat her up myself.”

Karolina smiles despite herself.

“There’s no way you could take her. She’d hex you before you went five feet.”

He grins back. “You’re probably right. Now come on, we haven’t been to Honeydukes yet and I need to stock up on sugar quills.”

They spend the rest of the day together - not a date, just two friends hanging out, and it’s nice.

Karolina is still anxious about telling Nico, but the fact that Chase knows and doesn’t think any differently of her - not that she expected him to, but still - makes her feel better.

She’s on the lookout for the rest of their friends all day, but they don’t run into each other until dinner that night.

“How did your date go?” Gert asks the second they sit down.

She looks like she doesn’t particularly want to know the answer.

Karolina freezes up, but Chase comes to her rescue.

“It was good,” he says cheerfully. “We decided we’re better as friends, though.”

Gert tries and fails to not look pleased at his words.

“Bummer,” Nico says from her spot next to Karolina.

(Karolina notices, though, that she looks almost as happy as Gert.)

 

==

 

Hufflepuff’s Quidditch game against Ravenclaw is the next week, and it goes badly.

Karolina feels out of it all game. Twice she’s almost unseated by a Bludger, and she misses the Snitch. It’s actually closer to _her_ when the other Seeker spots it, but she doesn’t react quickly enough and he gets there first.

“Karolina,” Teddy says, at the end of his post-game talk in the locker room. “Will you hang back for a minute?”

Karolina’s heart sinks. He’s going to kick her off the team, she knows it. And the worst part is, she doesn’t even blame him - she flew like crap today.

She changes out of her Quidditch robes slowly, a pit in in her stomach, hoping desperately that it won't be the last time she gets to wear them. Once the rest of the team has changed and left the locker room, Teddy comes up to her.

“I just wanted to check in,” he says, “and see how you’re doing.”

Karolina looks up at him in shock.

“I’m still on the team?”

“Of course,” Teddy says. “You think you’re the only one that’s ever had a bad game? My first year on the team, there was this one awful game where I let in twenty-two goals. And now look at me.”

Karolina must look overly relieved, because he smiles gently at her.

“I just want to make sure you know,” he continues, “that being your captain means I’m here to support you, whatever you need. If you ever need to talk about anything, Quidditch related or not, I’m always listening.”

Karolina hesitates, the turmoil she’s been feeling for the last few weeks starting to bubble over. She remembers suddenly that Teddy has a boyfriend (and he and Billy Kaplan are Hogwarts’ unofficial cutest couple), and he probably understands what she’s going through.

And then it all comes spilling out: her not-date with Chase, and how she’s afraid to tell the rest of her friends - afraid to tell Nico - and what if she’s not even gay at all and if she just waits long enough all of these weird confusing feelings will go away on their own.

Teddy listens patiently until it’s clear she’s finished.

“Well,” he says gently, “In my personal experience, those feelings don’t really just ‘go away,’ but I can promise that you’ll get more comfortable with them as time goes on. And I don’t know your friends, but I do know that you’re pretty incredible, and they’d be crazy to not love you, regardless of what you choose to tell them. And you don’t have to if you don’t want to, especially not right away. There’s no time limit on coming out.”

Karolina swallows a lump in her throat, because Teddy’s eyes are kind and understanding and he’s saying everything she’s been longing to hear for the past few months.

“Also,” he continues, “no matter what happens, you’ll always have me and the team, because you’re a fantastic Seeker and an even better teammate.”

And he laughs when Karolina slams into him, hugging him tightly, and he wraps a burly arm around her shoulders and hugs her back.

 

==

 

Karolina doesn’t tell anyone else, not right away.

She gets close, more than once.

(Like the time that everyone else has gone to bed, and she and Nico are the only two left in the Hufflepuff common room, Nico helping her through a Potions concept for their quiz tomorrow. And when she finally gets the problem right Nico gives her a wide smile and she feels exhilarated in a way she rarely does with Potions, and she almost blurts it out but it doesn’t quite feel like the right time yet.)

But now that someone else knows - now that it feels _real_ \- it seems like it’s always on the tip of her tongue. And she wants desperately for Nico (and everyone she cares about, for that matter) to know, but the thought of actually saying it is terrifying.

Finally, the last week before winter break, she and Nico are walking back from Care of Magical Creatures together, and Karolina stops when they’re halfway across the grounds.

“I have to tell you something.”

“Sure,” Nico says. "What's up?"

She waits expectantly, and Karolina has been psyching herself up all morning but she can’t quite get the words out. But Nico reaches out and gently takes Karolina’s hand, and Nico's touch grounds her just like it always has.

“I’m gay.”

Her voice is quiet and trembling, but Nico’s hand is warm and firm in hers and she feels lighter already.

“Okay,” Nico says.

She squeezes Karolina’s hand, and Karolina lets out a shaky breath.

“Okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico says, pulling Karolina into a hug.

“Thanks for telling me,” she murmurs into Karolina’s ear.

Karolina tightens her grip on Nico’s shoulders. And her overwhelming feeling is one of relief, but there’s a small part of her that’s instead mostly focused on the sensation of Nico’s breath against her neck.

(She tells the rest of them on the Hogwarts Express back for break, and Gert and Molly immediately envelop her in a group hug. Alex stands back, hesitant, until Molly grabs the front of his robes and pulls him into it. And Karolina reaches out for Nico and tugs her in as well.

And then Chase wraps his long arms around the whole group, squeezing until they all complain loudly about being squashed.)

 

==

 

Hufflepuff wins their match against Gryffindor, which means that they’re not out of the running for the Quidditch Cup.

Teddy smiles at Karolina as they leave the locker room after the game and see her friends waiting for her.

“Seems like your friends care about you a lot.”

“Yep,” Karolina says, laughing when Billy Kaplan crashes into Teddy, kissing him so fiercely he almost knocks them both to the ground.

It’s true, Karolina’s friends are amazing. And she’s passing all her classes, and playing better than ever, and coming to terms with her own sexuality.

More confusing, though, are her feelings for a certain small, dark-haired Slytherin.

But Nico is her best friend, and that has to come first.

So she buries her feelings, and if she sometimes stares longingly at Nico during late nights in the library together, when they’re all too tired to pay attention to anything but their half-written essays, well. That’s nobody’s business but her own.

(She actually thinks Gert might know, but Gert stares at Chase almost as much as she does at Nico, and they have a silent, mutual understanding to keep each other’s secrets. And luckily no one else seems to notice, least of all Nico herself.)

The rest of the year passes in a blur.

Slytherin wins the Quidditch Cup for the third year in a row, and Chase complains loudly about it at the dinner table that night while Nico laughs at him.

The end of the Quidditch season means that practice is replaced by long hours of studying for finals, but they all manage to pass. Karolina even gets an A in Potions.

And then, the day after exams, Alex asks Nico out.

They’re all sprawled on the grass by the lake together when he brings it up. Nico is lying with her head on Karolina’s stomach, and Karolina hopes that Nico can’t feel her tense up at Alex’s question.

“What do you think?” Alex asks. “You, me, Hogsmeade tomorrow?”

Nico sits up so she can look at him, losing contact with Karolina as she does so.

“Sure,” Nico says, and Karolina’s heart sinks. “That sounds good.”

Karolina struggles to keep her face neutral, eyes fixed on a wispy cloud above her head. Gert tosses a knowing glance her way, but she’s too busy not looking at Nico to really register it.

She spends the rest of the afternoon in turmoil. But they’re with their friends all though dinner, so she can’t say anything.

Finally, after dinner, Gert drags Molly off to Gryffindor Tower to help her pack, and Karolina and Nico are alone walking back to their dormitories.

“So,” Karolina says. “Alex?”

“Yeah,” Nico says.

“I didn’t know you liked him.”

Karolina is looking straight ahead as they walk, but she can feel Nico’s eyes on her.

“I never really thought about it, to be honest,” Nico says. “But he’s cool, and I like him as a friend so I figured, why not? And hey, at least he's not Chase.”

Karolina looks over in indignation to see Nico grinning at her.

“That was one time,” she protests. “I was confused!”

“Well, I don’t think this date is quite as doomed as that one was, so maybe it’ll go better,” Nico says.

“Yeah,” Karolina says. “I hope it does.”

There must be something in her voice, though, because Nico looks sideways at her.

“Do you think I shouldn’t go?”

 _Yes_ , Karolina wants to say. _Don’t go with him. Go with me, instead._

“No!” she says instead. “No, you should go. I think you two would be great together.

“Okay,” Nico says, and she sounds almost… disappointed? “Thanks.”

They reach the split in the corridor where they go their separate ways, and Nico pulls Karolina into a hug.

“Good night. Thanks for validating me.”

“What are friends for?” Karolina says, even though something twists inside her at the words. “Good night, Nico.”

 

==

 

It feels _weird_ , going into Hogsmeade without Nico.

After Karolina’s disastrous attempt at a date with Chase, they’d gone back to moving as a pack. Now, though, it’s just four of them. And yeah, Karolina loves Gert and Molly and Chase, but it feels different without Nico’s dry sarcasm to counterbalance Molly’s (and, quite honestly, Karolina’s) enthusiasm.

She adjusts, though, and manages to enjoy herself as they wander through the sunny village.

As the afternoon wears on, Chase suggests they finish out their day at the Three Broomsticks.

“I need to get out of the sun before I become an actual human puddle. And that iced cherry thing they have sounds awesome right now.”

The rest of them agree quickly, and they’re soon sitting comfortably in a back room with their drinks. They haven’t run in to Nico and Alex all day, which seems a little odd given the size of the village but which Karolina is grateful for.

Eventually they finish and get to their feet, ready to head back to school. And it’s as Karolina goes to bring her empty glass back to the bar that she sees them, tucked into a corner of the room.

Alex’s arm is around Nico’s shoulders and she’s laughing at something he said. He leans in, and she leans up, and their lips meet.

Karolina doesn’t drop her glass, but it’s a close call. She can’t stop _staring_ , frozen in place even as she feels her heart tearing itself to shreds.

A hand touches her elbow, and she starts.

“Hey,” Gert says, looking at her in concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Karolina says, plastering a fake smile onto her face. “Great!”

Gert looks past her into the corner where Alex and Nico are still kissing, and the concern on her face morphs into understanding.

“Come on,” she says gently, leading Karolina out of the bar and back into the sunshine where Karolina can pretend that the tears now pricking at her eyes are a result of the sudden glare of the late afternoon sun, instead of the realization that she’s maybe fallen for her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comicverse teddy altman and karolina dean are the same person and my proof is that they’re both tall blonde aliens and in love with shorter, dark-haired human witches thank u for coming to my ted talk


	5. year 5.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chase is the best wingman. molly is good at hitting stuff. karolina moves on and nico is angsty about it.

This summer Karolina’s dad is the one taking time off, so she’s back at home once again. He manages to stay engaged for longer than her mom did, at least, and he has more tolerance for listening to Karolina talk about Quidditch for hours on end.

He also teaches her how to drive, despite her protests that she’s only fifteen and doesn’t need to learn anymore, anyway.

“I know you’re ‘magical’ and can ‘fly now’, but I’ve been waiting to teach you to drive since you were four and playing with Hot Wheels. Come on, let me have this.”

The streets by their house are wide and quiet. The Mini Cooper doesn’t go as fast as her Firebolt, but Karolina finds that it’s still exhilarating to press down on the gas and feel the car accelerate beneath her. They’re miles away from their house by the time her dad declares her a pro, and Karolina grins and accepts the fist bump he offers her.

She comes out to her dad at the tail end of the twenty minute drive back home. Her heart races, but she keeps both hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road, and the pavement stretched out in front of them is a steadying influence.

Her dad is silent the rest of the drive, but when she pulls into their long driveway and puts the car in park, he reaches over the center console to give her a hug.

Once she’s come out to her parents, Karolina goes right back to agonizing over Nico.

They still write, of course. They’ve done so every summer up to this point, and as far as Nico knows nothing has changed between them, so why would they stop now? Nico tells Karolina in one of her letters that she and Alex are officially dating, and Karolina tries to be enthusiastic.

(Even if her hands tremble so much when she attaches her reply to Rufus’s leg that the whole owl vibrates.)

Eventually, she decides that she has to get over herself.

Karolina is Nico’s best friend, and as such it’s first and foremost her job to support her. Even if it means she has to be excited that the girl she’s in love with is dating someone else. Regardless of how she feels, losing Nico as a friend is the worst imaginable outcome.

Besides, Nico is straight, so it’s not like she would have stood a chance anyway.

 

==

 

When they all meet at King’s Cross on September first, Alex and Gert have prefect badges pinned to their chests, the red of Gert’s clashing magnificently with the new bright purple of her hair. When Karolina arrives, Nico drops Alex’s hand to wrap her in a hug, and Karolina’s heart swells as she grips at the back of Nico’s jacket.

Chase is the last to arrive - he, too, has a badge, but rather than prefect his marks him as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. (He’d written Karolina as soon as he’d gotten the letter, and she’d responded to that one with actual enthusiasm.)

“Do we have a compartment yet?” Chase asks once he’s hugged all of them.

“Actually,” Gert says apologetically, “Alex and I need to go up to the prefect’s carriage first, to check in and get more instructions. I think Molly found a compartment, though.”

“Oh, okay,” Chase says. He looks a little put out, and Karolina makes a mental note to mention it to Gert later.

Alex and Gert split off towards the front, and Molly leads the rest of them to an empty compartment halfway down the train. Karolina takes a seat next to the window, and Nico settles in next to her as the train starts to move.

“So Chase,” Karolina says, in part to distract herself from the way Nico’s leg bumps hers every time the train sways, “Do you think Gryffindor can finally win the Cup, now that you’re captain?”

“Nope,” Molly interjects before he can say anything. “Hufflepuff this year for sure.”

Chase grins good-naturedly. “Well, apparently they’ve got an awesome new Beater trying out this year. I don’t know if we stand a chance.”

“Hey, don’t forget about their Seeker,” Nico says. “I’ve heard she’s pretty great, too.”

She smiles sideways at Karolina. Karolina feels her face heat up, and quickly changes the subject to how much work they’ll get now that it’s OWL year.

After a few hours, Alex and Gert join them. Alex flops down on Nico’s other side, and Nico accepts the arm he slips around her shoulders.

Karolina leans forward to join Chase and Molly’s in hounding Gert over details of her new prefect duties, and carefully avoids looking at them.

  


==

 

Their workload this year increases exponentially. Each of their professors spends the first ten minutes lecturing them about the importance of OWLs.

“You cannot pass your OWL,” Professor Walters says at the beginning of their first Potions class - the subject Karolina is most afraid she’ll fail - “without considerable hard work and dedication. However, it should be more than achievable for everyone in this classroom today, as long as you continue to study hard and pay attention.”

She directs the last words at Nico, who’s doodling in the margins of her notes and clearly not listening to a word Professor Walters is saying. Karolina nudges her until she looks up, flashing Professor Walters an apologetic smile.

Not that Nico needs to pay attention, really. She could score higher than Karolina on their Potions OWL with her eyes closed.

As is quickly becoming tradition, the whole group accompanies Molly to Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts. (Karolina technically has to try out again, too, but it’s mostly a formality and she makes it back onto the team without much difficulty.)

She’s more nervous about Molly’s tryout than her own - the pool of potential Beaters is made up mostly of large, muscular boys and Molly, though tall, seems positively tiny in comparison to some of them. However, she needn’t have worried; Molly hits hard and with astonishing accuracy. Karolina and the Chasers fly around the pitch to give the Beaters something to aim at, and Molly sends a Bludger so close to Karolina that she feels it graze her robes as she dodges it.

Molly makes the team. Teddy had graduated at the end of last year, so their chances of winning aren’t quite as good as they were, but Karolina is nevertheless delighted to get to play with her.

Through it all, Nico and Alex keep dating, and Karolina gets used to seeing them together. Neither of them are big on PDA, so it’s not even like their group dynamic changes all that much.

(It’s just the idea of someone else with Nico, getting to take her on dates and kiss her and—

No.

Karolina is _getting over_ Nico, she can’t let herself go there.)

 

==

 

One day in November, Chase nudges her at dinner.

“Hey,” he says. “You know my teammate, Julie?”

“Who?”

He points in the direction of the table next to theirs, and Karolina looks up in time to see a tall, blonde sixth-year girl look quickly away from them. She recognizes her as a Chaser on the Gryffindor team, whom she’s played against for years but never spoken to.

“What about her?”

“She asked me if you were seeing anyone,” Chase says.

Karolina glances over at Julie again. They make eye contact, and Julie grins sheepishly at her before turning away.

“Oh,” Karolina says. “Okay.”

“Well?” Chase says eagerly. “What do you think?”

“Um, I dunno,” Karolina says. “I’ve never talked to her.”

Meanwhile, the rest of the group has ceased their own conversations to listen intently to Chase and Karolina’s exchange.

“She’s cute, right? And she’s really cool, I promise,” Chase says. “I can introduce you, if you want.”

Karolina considers it. Julie _is_ cute, and maybe seeing someone else will help her get over Nico once and for all.

“Sure, okay,” she says.

Out of the corner of her eye, she swears a faint crease appears between Nico’s eyebrows, but she blinks and it’s gone.

 

==

 

True to his word, Chase brings Julie over at lunch the next day.

Julie slides onto the bench next to Karolina, introducing herself a little awkwardly, but the whole group is welcoming and she fits easily into their conversation. Karolina finds that she likes Julie a lot; she’s even prettier up close, and she’s clever and funny and smiles easily. And, almost as importantly, she’s absolutely nothing at all like Nico.

They keep hanging out over the next few weeks. Being with Julie is surprisingly easy; she makes no effort to hide her interest in Karolina, and Karolina hadn’t realized how much she wanted that sort of attention until now that she has it.

And the more they get to know each other, the more naturally their conversation flows. Julie, Karolina learns, comes from a family of Quidditch players - her older brother joined a professional team after he left Hogwarts last year, and her younger brother is on the Gryffindor team as well - and, having seen Karolina play for years, is favorably impressed.

The more time Karolina spends with Julie, the less she spends thinking about Nico.

(They’re still friends, of course.

Best friends.

But her unwelcome fantasies about kissing Nico in a back corner of the Three Broomsticks like Alex did less June get less frequent, and the sometimes Nico in her imagination gets taller and blonder and her tie turns from green to scarlet.)

Three weeks in, Karolina and Julie are walking through the grounds at break. They’re holding hands - it’s a thing they started doing yesterday - and so when Julie stops, Karolina is tugged to a halt next to her.

“Hey, so we’ve been hanging out for a few weeks now, and I like you a lot. How would you feel about making this official?”

Karolina has to fight down the smile threatening to burst across her face.

“I like you a lot, too.”

“Is that a yes, then?” Julie smiles.

“Yes! Wait, you mean, like, girlfriends, right?”

“Yep,” Julie laughs. “Like girlfriends.”

She reaches up to thread her fingers through Karolina’s hair. And when she leans in, Karolina meets her halfway, heart hammering so loudly she’s surprised Julie can’t feel it.

It’s soft and gentle and everything a first kiss should be. Karolina’s hands find Julie’s hips and Julie grins into her mouth, and yeah. Karolina is actually, _finally_ over Nico.

 

==

 

It all blows up the week before winter break.

Even though Julie is officially her girlfriend (a word Karolina still can’t say without smiling giddily), and the rest of their friends have welcomed her with open arms, Nico has never warmed to her. And whenever Karolina tries to broach the subject with her, Nico has brushed her off with “Of course I like Julie,” or “She’s great, you two are good together,” so after a while Karolina drops it.

There’s a Hogsmeade trip the day before they’re set to leave for break, and Karolina makes plans to go with Julie. When Nico finds out, she’s far angrier than Karolina expected.

“I thought we were all going together! Now you’re just abandoning the rest of us?”

“We’ll still meet up later,” Karolina promises, “but this is the last trip before break, and Julie wanted it to be just the two of us.”

“Oh, so you’re just doing what Julie wants now?” Nico shoots back.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I wanted to go with her too, we’re not going to see each other for two weeks.”

“You’re not going to see us for two weeks either,” Nico says. “But I don’t see you putting time aside for the rest of us.”

“I hang out with you every day,” Karolina points out. “And Julie’s my _girlfriend_ , we wanted to do something special. Besides, didn’t you want to go with Alex?”

“Sure,” Nico says, “but unlike you, I actually have my priorities in order, and want to spend the last day before the holidays with my best friend.”

“That’s not fair,” Karolina says, stung. “Of course I want to spend time with you. And actually, you didn’t seem to have a problem ‘abandoning’ us for Alex last June.”

“Never mind,” Nico sneers, completely ignoring Karolina’s last point. “Don’t bother meeting up with us. Why don’t you just go spend the entire day with your perfect girlfriend, like you so clearly want to.”

“Fine, maybe I will!” Karolina shouts. She turns on her heel and storms off before she can think better of it. Once she’s sped around the corner and up two flights of stairs she stops, leaning against the wall and breathing hard.

In more than four years of friendship, she and Nico have never fought before; she’s always been able to talk to Nico about anything. But in the weeks since she’s started dating Julie it seems like Nico has been pulling away.

And now this.

Honestly, she’s at a complete loss. Nico has been her best friend for years, and now she’s acting like she doesn’t want to be her friend at all. And the only thing that’s changed - the only thing that could have possibly caused this dramatic shift in behavior - is Julie.

But what is Karolina supposed to do? Break up with Julie just because Nico doesn’t like her?

(“Sorry, I _really_ like you, but my best friend doesn’t. No, she hasn’t actually told me, I’m just assuming from context clues. But anyway, we have to break up so she’ll maybe stop ignoring me.”)

That would go over well.

Besides, there’s the simple fact that Karolina doesn’t _want_ to break up with Julie. Julie is smart and pretty and knows a shocking amount about Quidditch and likes Karolina in a way that Nico never will.

Karolina spends the rest of the day dreading dinner. She’s not sure what she wants to say to Nico - or if she even wants to say anything - but Nico’s not there, and when Gert asks Alex about it he just shrugs.

“I dunno. She seemed pretty upset earlier, but she wouldn’t talk to me about it. I think she just needs space.”

Karolina keeps her eyes on her plate, not daring to look at him, but Alex asks the question she’s been dreading anyway.

“Karolina? Do you know what happened?’

“Yeah,” Karolina says, and she’s surprised at how bitter she sounds. “She got mad that I wanted to go to Hogsmeade with Julie this weekend, so I guess now she’s not talking to me.”

She shovels a giant bite of food into her mouth to indicate that she’s done talking, and Alex looks at her concernedly but blessedly drops the subject.

Nico avoids Karolina for the rest of the week, and Karolina spends the day of the Hogsmeade trip cuddled up with Julie in a small, romantic coffee shop.

She almost hopes that Nico will walk in and see them - see just how well Karolina is doing without her. But she doesn’t see Nico, nor any of her friends, all day, and Nico and Alex don’t sit with them on the Hogwarts Express on the way home for break.

But Julie is holding her hand, and Karolina thinks that maybe it’s better, this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure about this one but I think I just need to let it go rip
> 
> also I figured out why my updates weren't going to the top so hopefully it's better now


	6. year 5.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> karolina dates julie and doesn't talk to nico

Karolina returns from winter break to a girlfriend who likes her more than ever and a best friend who’s decided to pretend that she doesn’t exist.

And she’s still angry enough about how Nico acted before they left that she follows her lead and does the same.

Their rift fractures their friend group in two. Nico takes Alex, of course. Karolina takes Molly - between being in the same House and playing Quidditch together, Molly has always spent more time with her anyway - and Gert and Chase go back and forth between them, trying furiously to get them to talk to one another.

But Karolina stands firm: Nico is the one who started this whole mess, and she’s not going to make any concessions until Nico apologizes.

(Though given how Nico is acting, the chances of that happening seem pretty slim at the moment.)

Between Julie and Quidditch and the truly mountainous amount of work they’re being given as exams draw closer, it’s getting easier not to think about Nico at all. She still does, but it’s usually simmering at the back of her mind instead of spiraling into the all-consuming affair it might have become last year.

It also helps that Karolina knows Nico’s schedule almost as well as her own. It’s relatively easy to time her own day so she never has to see Nico outside of class. Besides, this year they only have Potions together, when in the past they’ve shared two or three.

(When they’d gotten their schedules at the beginning of the year they’d lamented their separation, but now Karolina has never been more grateful.)

Besides, Potions is a difficult enough experience all on its own. Their first class after break Nico moves her cauldron to work next to Eiffel, a Slytherin in their year who Karolina knows for a fact that Nico despises. But Karolina has no chance of following her, because Eiffel hates Karolina with a passion that Karolina has no idea what she did to deserve. She’s left alone at her and Nico’s usual table, and can barely even glance in their direction without Nico avoiding her eyes and Eiffel glaring daggers back at her.

On top of the discomfort of having to be in close quarters for class twice a week, Karolina hadn’t realized how much Nico was carrying her through Potions until they’re no longer working together. The first time she attempts to brew something without Nico next to her, she somehow adds the wrong ingredient more than once, and it’s smoking by the time she’s done. The second time she rereads every line twice before she adds anything, and goes better. It isn’t the disaster it was the first time, at least. But she gets a glimpse of Nico’s potion when they bring their flasks up to be graded at the end of class, and Nico’s somehow still looks better.

Honestly, she doesn’t know why she’s getting so worked up about it. She doesn’t even know what she wants to do after Hogwarts.

“Why do you even need a Potions OWL?” Julie asks her as they sit in Gryffindor Tower one night, Karolina agonizing over her Potions homework. “I dropped Potions after last year, and it’s not like all my job prospects went away. I think it might actually be the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Karolina says, idly watching Julie lace their fingers together. “Thanks.”

She presses a kiss to Julie’s cheek.

(It’s just— Potions was always _their_ thing. She liked having Nico explain concepts to her, face lit up and hands gesturing wildly.

Even if sometimes she missed the actual explanation, too caught up in watching her friend.) 

She’d also been concerned about Arithmancy, since she’s been leaning pretty heavily on Nico for that subject as well, but luckily Chase is in her Arithmancy class. He has a pretty good head for numbers, so he helps her through.

No matter how many hours she spends in the library with Chase though, it still feels strange to be studying without Nico beside her.

 

==

 

At the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch game in February, Nico isn’t wearing Karolina’s Hufflepuff scarf like she has at every game since Karolina joined the team two years ago.

Karolina is pretty sure that the only reason she’s not visibly supporting Gryffindor is because Julie is on that team.

With Hufflepuff trailing by three goals, Karolina gets bad break when she spots the Snitch across the field, flitting through the air ten meters below the Gryffindor Seeker. She races towards it, but the other player reacts at the same time she does and snags the Snitch to secure the win for Gryffindor.

Karolina pulls her broom up short when the match ends, floating defeated back to the ground. However, the sting of Hufflepuff’s loss is mitigated by Julie, who sweeps Karolina into a sweaty post-match kiss the second she touches down.

“Great flying today,” she breathes, arms still around Karolina’s neck.

“You’re only saying that because you won,” Karolina says. She pushes halfheartedly at Julie’s shoulder.

Julie gasps playfully. “That is _so_ not true. My honesty would never depend on the performance of my own team.”

“Yeah, okay,” Karolina smiles, taking Julie’s hand as they start in the direction of the locker rooms. “You flew really well today, too.”

“Thanks,” Julie says. “Hey, wanna do something tonight?”

Karolina pauses. Usually after a loss she and Nico hole up in Karolina’s dorm with a box of Every Flavor Beans, daring each other to eat the weirdest ones to take Karolina’s mind off the game. It catches her off guard; for a moment she’d completely forgotten that she can’t do that anymore.

“Doesn’t Gryffindor have massive parties every time you win? Gert complains about them all the time,” Karolina laughs, recovering quickly.

“Well yeah, but I could skip it, if you wanted to hang out.”

Karolina looks at her in surprise. Gryffindor parties are legendary, and she can tell that Julie wants to go, but she’s putting Karolina first. Julie really is the best; Karolina still can’t quite believe she wants to be with her.

“It’s okay,” Karolina says, “you scored five goals today, you should go celebrate with your team. Besides, this is Molly’s first loss. I should probably do something with her.”

“Okay,” Julie says. “Thanks, babe.”

They’ve reached the locker rooms, and she leans in to kiss Karolina quickly before they split off.

“Babe?” Karolina says. “That’s new.”

“Yeah, I thought I’d try it out,” Julie says, cocking an eyebrow at her. “What do you think?”

“I like it,” Karolina decides. She tugs Julie back in for another kiss, longer this time.

Someone clears their throat loudly, and Karolina pulls away to see Chase, Gert, and Molly wearing matching shit-eating grins.

(Off in the distance, Nico and Alex have vanish without acknowledging them.)

“Cute,” Gert comments with a mildly disgusted expression.

“Thanks,” Julie says cheekily. “See you later, babe.”

“Bye,” Karolina says, watching Julie disappear into the Gryffindor locker room.

“Wow,” Molly says, “you really like her, don’t you?”

Karolina grins, finally following Molly into Hufflepuff’s locker room.

“Yeah, I really do.”

 

==

 

Karolina spends more and more time with Julie as she goes out of her way to avoid Nico.

To her credit, Nico makes no effort to talk to Karolina, and Gert is furious with the pair of them.

Normally Karolina is good at redirecting when Gert tries to get them to reconcile, but every so often she misses the mark.

It’s particularly bad the morning of one Hogsmeade trip. Karolina is eating breakfast with Molly and Julie when Gert slides in next to her.

“Hey friends,” she says. “Chase and I are heading to the Three Broomsticks, are you in?”

“Of course!” Molly says happily.

Karolina hesitates.

“Will Nico be there?”

“Well—” Gert looks not-so-subtly over to the next table, where Chase is sitting across from Nico and Alex and clearly doing the exact same thing as Gert.

“No,” Karolina says flatly.

“Karolina,” Gert says, frustrated. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“If Nico’s going, I’m out.”

“Come on,” Gert pleads. “You two were attached at the hip for like four years. You can’t tell me you don’t miss her. And I know she misses you.”

“She’s the one with the problem, not me. If she misses me that much, she can come over here and tell me herself,” Karolina says.

Julie shifts next to her, clearly uncomfortable, and Karolina covers Julie’s hand with her own.

“Fine,” Gert snaps, turning to leave. “Stay in your weird, petty argument forever, for all I care. Molly, are you coming?”

Molly pauses, looking awkwardly from Gert to Karolina and back.

“Go ahead,” Karolina reassures her. “We’ll meet up with you later.”

Molly smiles gratefully, rising to follow Gert.

“Sorry about that,” Karolina says once it’s just her and Julie at the table. “I just can’t deal with Nico right now.”

“No worries,” Julie smiles. “As long as I get to spend the day with you.”

She wraps an arm around Karolina’s shoulders and presses a kiss to her temple. As Karolina leans into her side, she accidentally catches sight of Nico watching them with an unreadable expression. They make eye contact for a split second, and then Nico looks away.

 

==

 

In March, Karolina slips up. She forgets that Nico has Charms right after she does, and lingers at the end of class to talk to Professor Rogers about Silencing Charms instead of rushing out of the room right when the period ends the way she usually does. So, when she does finally turn to leave, break is over and she gets caught in the doorway as a stream of Ravenclaws and Slytherins enter the classroom.

Someone bumps into her and stumbles, and she catches them by the elbows.

“Sorry,” she says quickly.

And then she actually looks at who ran into her and it’s Nico in her arms, looking up at Karolina like a deer in headlights.

Karolina tenses up, unable to move. This is the closest they’ve been in months; they haven’t touched since December.

Nico opens her mouth, eyes locked on Karolina’s and hands gripping Karolina’s biceps.

“Nico?” a voice says, and Alex comes up to them, looking curiously between Nico and Karolina.

Nico starts, jerking backwards out of Karolina’s hold.

“Coming,” she says.

She takes Alex’s hand without looking at Karolina, and brushes past her into the room without a second glance.

 

==

 

Nico doesn’t even come to her last Quidditch match of the year.

Chase and Gert and Julie are all there, of course, sitting together and cheering for her and Molly. As she soars past their section of stands at the beginning of the game, Karolina sees that sometime between her leaving for the locker room and now, Alex has joined them. She feels a sudden rush of affection towards him for coming, even if the sight of him without Nico makes it almost certain that Nico didn’t show up.

After the game, he’s with everyone else waiting for her and Molly outside the locker room. Once she’s released from Julie’s embrace, he gives her an awkward, one-armed hug.

“Great job today. Congrats on the win.”

“Thanks,” Karolina grins as they all set off for the castle together.

“Hey, I actually wanted to talk to you,” Alex says.

“Sure, what is it?”

Alex doesn’t say anything right away, instead slowing his pace so they fall back from their friends.

“Well,” he starts once they’re out of earshot, “it’s about Nico.”

Karolina stiffens a little, but forces herself to relax.

“Yeah?”

“Will you go talk to her? She’s miserable without you.”

“Alex, she won’t even _look_ at me. She definitely doesn’t want to talk.”

“Yeah, she does,” he says. “She’s just too stubborn to admit it, even to me, but I can tell. Don’t you miss her too?”

“Of course I do,” Karolina says.

“Okay, well. You don’t have to do anything right away, but just think about what I said.”

Karolina nods, and Alex smiles slightly at her before speeding up to join in Chase and Molly’s spirited recap of every Bludger she hit today.

Over the next few weeks, Karolina thinks about Alex’s words constantly, about his assertion that Nico is miserable. She has to admit that Nico doesn’t look particularly happy, the few times a week they see each other in Potions. But Nico still refuses to look at her, and Karolina doesn’t want to try if Nico is just going to reject her off the bat.

She’s gotten pretty good at living without her best friend, and trying to reconcile with an unresponsive Nico would hurt more than she’d care to admit. So instead, she just continues studiously avoiding her.

 

==

 

With OWLs drawing closer, leaflets advertising various job opportunities appear suddenly throughout the common rooms. Karolina has no idea what she wants to do after Hogwarts; she spends a lot of time in Gryffindor Tower with Gert, Chase, and Julie reading through the pamphlets, but nothing stands out. Chase won’t stop talking about joining a professional Quidditch team, but he’s already been contacted by more than one feeder team, and without the same offers Karolina can’t quite bring herself to entertain the idea.

Every fifth year is required to meet with their Head of House to discuss their career options, and on the day of her appointment, Karolina leaves Potions ten minutes early to be at Professor Rogers’ office at four pm sharp.

(She could swear Nico’s eyes follow her out of the classroom, but when she turns back at the doorway Nico is focused intently on corking her sample flask.)

Professor Rogers greets her warmly, regarding her over steepled fingers as she takes a seat in front of his desk.

“So, Karolina,” he says. “Have you given any thought to what you might want to do after you graduate?”

“I’m not sure,” Karolina says. “I like Charms and Care of Magical Creatures a lot, but I’m not sure how to translate that into a career.”

“Okay,” Professor Rogers says, “well, I’m sure we can figure something out. I assume you read through the leaflets that have been circulating; did you find anything you liked? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten?”

Karolina freezes. The question is innocent enough, and maybe it’s because she just saw Nico in Potions, but suddenly she’s all Karolina can think about. In five years - ten years - she just wants to be with Nico.

(Kiss her good night, wake up next to her every morning, grow old with Nico by her side.)

“Karolina?” Professor Rogers prompts, and Karolina starts.

“Oh,” she says weakly. “I guess something where I could work with animals would be cool?”

Professor Rogers answers easily, offering suggestions about potential magical creature-related careers and the OWLs she might need to pursue them.

Karolina barely hears him, too busy trying to figure out where _that_ fantasy came from. She reminds herself that she’s with _Julie,_ that Nico doesn’t want her, isn’t even talking to her. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t quite get it out of her head.

 

==

 

For Julie’s seventeenth birthday, Karolina takes her to Hogsmeade through the tunnel under the one-eyed witch. There’s a small part of her that twists guiltily as she opens the entrance, like she’s betraying Nico. It’s ridiculous, since all their friends know about it as well, and Nico may not even be in her life anymore, but the passage will always be _theirs_ , Nico’s birthday gift when they thought they would be friends forever. Before they grew up and everything got confusing and awful.

But Julie’s expression when they emerge into the warm, sweet-smelling interior of Honeydukes is worth it, bright and excited and more than a little awestruck.

“This is awesome,” she breathes. “I’ve gone here for six years, and I’ve never even heard of that tunnel. How in Merlin’s name did you find it?”

Karolina shrugs. “Nico showed it to me,” she mumbles.

“Oh, okay,” Julie says. Her face falls slightly, but she shakes it off and takes Karolina’s hand. “Where are we going?”

“This way,” Karolina smiles, leading her out the door and into the street beyond.

They go to the Three Broomsticks - somewhere they’ve both been a hundred times, but it’s much more pleasant than on regular Hogsmeade weekends when it’s packed with students. And Julie’s fingers are entwined with Karolina’s under the table, and she kisses butterbeer foam off of Karolina’s mouth, and Karolina feels freer than she has in a while.

That night, after they’ve made their way back through the tunnel to the castle, Karolina walks Julie back to Gryffindor Tower.

“Goodnight,” Karolina says when they stop a corridor away, leaning in to kiss her. “Happy birthday.”

“Today was amazing,” Julie says, hugging Karolina tightly. “You’re amazing. I love you.”

Karolina stiffens, caught off guard, and Julie pulls back immediately.

“Sorry, is that okay? Too soon?”

“No, not at all,” Karolina smiles, pulling her back in. “I love you, too.”

Julie kisses her again, long and deep, so that when she finally pulls away they’re both breathing hard.

“Goodnight, Karolina,” she says.

She walks backwards towards the portrait of the Fat Lady so their hands stay connected for as long as possible, finally dropping into the space between them.

Karolina waits until Julie has disappeared into the Gryffindor common room before she turns towards her own dormitory, lips still buzzing. Julie’s declaration had caught her off guard, but she realizes that she’d meant it when she responded in kind.

(Briefly, she wonders if Nico and Alex have said it yet; they’ve been dating longer than her and Julie, it would make sense. Her stomach clenches at the thought, but she reminds herself that it’s none of her business and pushes it away.)

 

==

 

Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup in May, beating Ravenclaw in a stunning 320-90 victory to finish their season undefeated.

When Julie joins them after the game Karolina dumps a full pitcher of pumpkin juice on her head, shrieking when Julie chases after her. Julie picks her up and twirls her, smile threatening to crack her face in two. She kisses Karolina firmly before setting her back down.

It’s another moment before Chase arrives, having a harder time extricating himself from the hugs and cheers and high fives of his teammates. Molly gives him the same pumpkin juice treatment when he does, and he’s so exhilarated that he doesn’t berate her for ruining his hair and just grins, shaking his head like a dog so she and Gert are sprayed as well.

“Chase!” Gert yelps. “Glasses!”

Chase laughs, picking her up and spinning before he realizes that Julie and Karolina have just done the exact same thing. He drops her immediately, coughing awkwardly as they spring away from each other.

“Congrats, guys,” Karolina says to break the sudden tension between them, leaning into Julie’s side.

“Thanks,” Julie smiles, leaning over to ruffle Chase’s damp hair. “We did it, Captain. Quidditch champions!”

Molly jumps onto Chase’s back. He runs her around in circles, laughing, and Karolina’s chest floods with warmth at his genuine elation. But the lack of Nico’s usual scathing commentary in their midst leaves her with an uneasy feeling that even the solid weight of Julie’s arm around her waist can’t quite chase away. Distantly, Karolina wonders why she doesn’t feel happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter gave me literally such a hard time but the next one is mostly written so hopefully it won't be as long before the next update
> 
> shoutout to jordan for fixing it even though she is not in the runaways fandom and has also never read a harry potter


	7. year 5.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was going to post this yesterday but i ate a weed cookie and was high for like six hours so here it is now instead

OWLs are approaching, and Karolina gets more and more anxious the closer they get.

She’s confident about some subjects: In Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures, she’ll be fine. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy will be a little more tricky, but with Gert and Chase helping her she’s fairly sure she can scrape through.

The problem, as has plagued her for the last five years of magical education, is Potions.

Gert is good at the subject, but is somehow terrible at explaining it. The rest of her friends are similarly no help, and even Julie, who’d sat the exam the previous year, just shrugs.

“Sorry babe, I have no idea how I even passed. I think they might have gotten my test mixed up with someone else’s.”

(She tries to help anyway, of course, because she’s lovely and amazing and wants Karolina to succeed, but it’s clear after only a few minutes that Julie has barely more understanding of the material than Karolina herself, and even the parts she does get she doesn’t know how to explain.)

So Karolina spends long hours in the library, looking up the uses of ingredients and the complicated ways in which they react when combined, and wishing Nico was there with her.

In the middle of May, three weeks before the beginning of exams, Karolina finally cracks.

She’s in the Hufflepuff common room surrounded by books. Molly had been working with her but had gone to bed more than an hour ago, and Karolina herself is desperately tired. She’s been staring at a chapter on antidote theory for what feels like hours, and still has no idea what any of it means.

Nico’s in the library, she knows. Karolina saw her there earlier this evening when she went to try and study, before the sight of Nico at one of the tables in the back caused her to make a quick U-turn and head for the safety of her own common room. And yeah it’s late, but Nico had had an enormous stack of notes in front of her, and Karolina has stayed up studying with Nico enough to know that there’s a good chance she’s still there.

Karolina hesitates. Maybe she can just figure it out herself.

Her eyes land on a sentence she’s read with no comprehension at least four times already, and abruptly she comes to a decision, snapping the book shut and standing up. Leaving all her stuff but the one book she needs at the table, she marches out of the common room and towards the library.

She’s just turned the first corner when she runs headlong into Nico and pulls up short.

“Hey,” Nico says breathlessly.

“What are you doing here,” Karolina says. Just a second ago she’d been going to find Nico, but she thought she’d have the whole walk to the library to compose herself, and running into her so suddenly sets her heart racing.

“Um,” Nico says. “Funny story. I was going over my Charms notes, and I realized that all of my stuff on Summoning Charms is copied from you, and I don’t actually understand it at all. So, um, I wanted to ask you about it?”

“Really?” Karolina says incredulously, disregarding for a moment the fact that she was about to search out Nico for the exact same reason. “Five months of radio silence, and now you’re coming to me for _Charms_ help?”

“Um, yes?” Nico hedges, shifting uncomfortably.

Karolina laughs. “Unbelievable.”

She turns to walk back to the common room. Maybe if she just stares at the page for a while, the information she needs will be magically transferred into her brain.

“Wait,” Nico says, catching her by the arm.

Karolina pauses, Nico’s touch electric against her wrist. “What?”

“That’s not— that’s not the only reason.”

Karolina turns slowly back around, freezing as footsteps echo in the corridor behind Nico.

After a moment a Hufflepuff seventh year comes into view, stumbling bone-tired back from the library and not sparing a glance in their direction. Karolina waits until he disappears into the common room before hissing, “ _not here._ ”

She tugs her wrist out of Nico's grasp to catch her by the hand, pulling them both through a nearby tapestry into the hidden passage behind it. It's narrow and cramped; there's barely a foot of space between them.

“Okay,” Karolina says finally, raising her eyebrows, and inclining her head slightly at Nico to continue.

“I miss you, okay?” Nico bursts out. She can’t seem to look Karolina in the eye. “It turns out school isn’t really the same without you.”

“You don’t get to do that,” Karolina says, suddenly angry. “You don’t get to act like it’s my fault you’re unhappy. You stopped talking to me, remember?”

“I know,” Nico whispers. Somehow, watching Nico shrink in on herself just makes Karolina angrier.

“Well?” she says, and Nico flinches. “Is that all?”

“No— wait,” Nico says. “I’m sorry, okay? Ignoring you was the worst idea I’ve ever had, I never should have done it. These last few months have sucked.”

“Nico, you left me alone in Potions so you could work with _Eiffel_ ,” Karolina says. “I thought you hated her.”

“I do,” Nico says. “I wanted to hurt you, and that was the easiest way I could think to do it.”

“Congratulations. You did.”

“If it helps, I realized how stupid it was the second I did it,” Nico says. “But then it was too late. The look on your face? I couldn’t go back after that.”

Karolina softens a little at Nico’s pleading tone, but she’s not quite ready to forgive her just yet.

“Why did you do it?” Karolina asks.

“I told you, it—” Nico starts, but Karolina cuts her off.

“Not avoiding me in Potions. Why did you stop talking to me at all?”

“Honestly? I was jealous. I think I was used to having you all to myself, and suddenly you had Julie.” Nico’s smile is wry. “Turns out I’m not very good at sharing.”

“I had to share you first,” Karolina points out. “You started dating Alex way before I met Julie.”

Nico grimaces. “I know, I never said it wasn’t stupid. I’m really sorry, Karolina. And, um. I’d really like to be friends again, if that’s okay with you.”

Karolina hesitates. Nico's face is a mixture of apprehension and hope, and she's standing so close— Karolina can practically feel the warmth emanating off her body in the chilly passageway. She wants to agree so badly; no matter how mad she may be, she can’t deny that she’s missed Nico, too.

But she remembers the pain of the last five months, and sighs.

“I don't know, Nico.”

Nico's face falls, and Karolina almost forgives her on the spot if only to wipe away her hurt expression.

“It's not a no,” she adds hastily. “It's just, you ignored me for a _long_ time, and now here you are wanting to go back to how we were. I need a few days to process.”

For the first time all conversation, Nico looks away from Karolina, eyes raised to the ceiling like she’s trying not to cry. Karolina’s hands twitch, wanting to pull Nico into her arms, but she forces them to remain at her sides.

After a moment, Nico turns back towards her, and her voice is watery. “I guess that’s all I can ask for. Good night, Karolina.”

She presses her lips together in what could almost be considered a smile, and turns to exit the small space.

“Good night,” Karolina says, a second too late, staring at the spot where Nico disappeared. She waits until she’s sure Nico is gone before she reenters the corridor, barely stopping in the common room to pack away her books before climbing up to bed.

She falls asleep thinking about how Nico’s voice had quivered as she apologized, and the way her hair shone in the dim light of the passage.

 

==

 

Karolina makes it less than 48 hours before she gives in.

Two days after her confrontation with Nico in the hallway, she’s made next to no progress with understanding antidotes. And now that she knows that she _could_ have Nico’s help if she wanted it, it’s really in her own best interest to stop dragging her heels. She needs to pass her exams, after all.

So, after dinner that night, she goes to find Nico. She’s in the library again, and looks up from her work when Karolina sits down across from her.

“Hey,” Karolina starts.

“Hey yourself,” Nico smiles back.

“So I was thinking about what you said,” Karolina says. “About wanting to be friends again.”

She pauses just long enough for Nico to start squirming before she continues, “I think I’d like that.”

“Yeah?” Nico asks, her face lighting up.

“I’m still mad at you,” Karolina says. “But I think I’m going to fail my Potions OWL if I don’t have you to help me study. So, you know, I’m really just using you.”

A hurt look flashes across Nico’s face for just a moment before Karolina giggles.

“Fair enough,” Nico grins. “As long as you help me with Summoning Charms.”

“I can manage that,” Karolina says, and now that she’s started smiling she realizes she can’t stop.

For a moment they just sit across from each other, grinning stupidly.

And then Nico stands up, striding purposefully around the table to pull Karolina out of her chair and knocking her off balance as she hugs her tightly. Karolina freezes, taken by surprise, before relaxing into Nico’s embrace, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and hiding her smile in Nico’s shoulder.

After a long moment, she pulls away.

“So, I heard somewhere that you need Charms help?”

“You heard right,” Nico says, taking the seat next to Karolina’s and tugging her notes towards her. “What were you doing out so late the other night, anyway?”

Karolina grins sheepishly.

“I couldn’t understand this thing about antidotes, so I was going to find you?”

“Hypocrite,” Nico says, knocking her shoulder against Karolina’s, but there’s no real bite to it.

Hours later, Nico falls asleep still at the table in the library with her head on Karolina’s shoulder, and Karolina knows they’re going to be okay.

 

==

 

After that night in the library, things with Nico are better than ever. They don’t have time to do anything but study, but it means that the five of them constantly together, heads bent over books at the library or in one of their respective common rooms. Sometimes they’re joined by Molly and Julie, but Molly doesn’t have OWLs until next year, and Julie took them last year and has “no desire to relive that experience, thanks.”

(On the plus side, it means she’s been totally okay with Karolina’s general unavailability for the past few weeks. Karolina had felt guilty about it at first, but Julie had been more than understanding.

“Babe, don’t worry about it,” she says when Karolina nervously apologizes for cancelling on dinner for the third time that week to study with Nico. “I was there last year. I think there was a point where I didn’t go outside for like, five days. Take all the time you need.”

And Karolina only feels guiltier at that, because now that she and Nico have made up she just wants to make up for lost time with her, and studying is a more-than-convenient excuse. But she really _does_ need to study, she thinks. She pushes the guilt down and thanks Julie with a smile and a kiss.)

Karolina actually hasn’t minded the long hours of work, now that Nico is talking to her again— she’d trade any amount of studying to have Nico by her side. And she’s been with Julie for long enough now to realize how much she was letting her feelings for Nico affect their dynamic, how much she was in her own head about every interaction. Their friendship has always been a tactile one; Nico is physically affectionate with her in a way she is with no one else, not even Alex. Nine months ago Karolina had read into everything, no matter how hard she tried not to.

Now, though, she’s over Nico - or at least as over her as she’s ever going to get - and she slips easily back into the best friend role that she’s occupied for the last four and a half years. They’re still touchy, but now Karolina can recognize it for the platonic affection that it is.

 

==

 

The morning before their first OWL, they’re eating breakfast in the Great Hall when Gert drops her spoonful of oatmeal back into her bowl, splattering both herself and Chase with almond milk.

“Oh my god,” she says. “Is that the examiners?”

The rest of them whip around. A contingent of wizards are grouped at the head of the hall, and a stooped, ancient-looking woman is talking to Professor Danvers.

“Looks like it,” Alex says.

Next to Karolina, Nico lets out a shaky breath. Karolina covers Nico’s hand with her own and squeezes, and Nico looks at her gratefully.

The following day, they gather in the Entrance Hall after breakfast for the theoretical half of their Charms exam.

This is the exam that Karolina feels most confident about, but she knows Nico is the opposite, and she gives her a reassuring smile as the double doors open.

“Good luck.”

Nico grimaces at her. “Thanks, you too.”

Chase, ever the comic relief, formally shakes hands with each of them as they enter the Great Hall.

“Well, it was a pleasure getting to know all of you,” he says, straight faced, before bursting into a grin.

Karolina and Gert laugh, and even Nico manages to crack a smile.

Inside, the four long House tables have been replaced with rows of single-person desks, each with a packet of parchment lying face down on top of it. Karolina takes the desk behind Nico, with Chase behind her.

“Does everyone have an exam?” Professor Rogers calls from the front of the room. “Okay, begin!”

Two hours later, Karolina’s hand is cramped from writing and she joins her friends as time is called and the fifth years stream collectively out of the hall.

“That wasn’t too bad,” Alex says. “I’m not sure I remembered every principle of locomotion, but there are like seven, so partial credit?”

“There are eight,” Karolina says.

Nico nudges her, grinning. “Guess we know at least one of us passed.”

After lunch, they return to the Entrance Hall for the practical portion of Charms, but this time they’re called in in smaller groups instead of all at once, since they’re each tested individually.

It’s alphabetical, so Karolina is the first in their group to be tested. The rest of them wish her good luck and she’s directed into the Great Hall and towards a Professor Marchbanks, whom she recognizes as the woman talking to Professor Danvers yesterday.

Overall she thinks she does fairly well, and Professor Marchbanks praises her performance when she’s dismissed. However, she has no time to celebrate the end of the first exam, as she meets Julie in the library to start studying immediately for Transfiguration the next day.

After half an hour Nico joins them, falling into the seat next to Karolina with a sigh.

“How’d it go?” Karolina asks.

“All right,” Nico says. “Except I mixed up the incantations for chemical and state change, so the vinegar I was supposed to turn into wine froze and I had to melt it before I could try again.”

Karolina winces. “It’s okay,” she says, rubbing Nico’s shoulders comfortingly. “It was only one mistake, and you got there in the end. I’m sure you still did great.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she’s sure Julie is frowning at her from across the table, but by the time she’s turned back to her Transfiguration notes Julie is bent over her own work.

Transfiguration on Tuesday is followed by Herbology on Wednesday, Defense Against the Dark Arts Thursday, and Care of Magical Creatures Friday.

And then it’s the weekend, and they have two days to clear their brains of information from the exams they’ve completed, and to cram the empty space with material for their next week of tests.

Monday of week two is Potions, the exam Karolina is most worried she’s going to fail. Conversely, it’s the one Nico is least concerned about, so they spend most of the weekend reviewing the concepts that Karolina wants to focus on.

Halfway through the afternoon on Sunday, Karolina hits a point of so much bottled-up stress and frustration that she almost flips the table. They’ve spent the last day and a half going through years of Potions notes, and her head hurts from hours of complicated recipes and fiddly ingredients. She wants to cry.

“Hey,” Nico says quickly, looking at her with concern. “We can take a break for a bit, okay? C’mon, let’s go for a walk.”

Karolina nods, wiping furiously at her eyes, and lets Nico take her hand and lead her out of the Slytherin common room, through the Entrance Hall, and out onto the grounds.

It’s a beautiful day. Karolina has never been more resentful of OWLs than she is right now, watching groups of younger students enjoying the sunshine.

Nico leads her along the path to the lake, settling in the shade of a beech tree and pulling Karolina down beside her.

“It’s just a test,” she says, gaze steady on Karolina’s face. “Pass or fail, it’s not the end of the world.”

“I know,” Karolina sighs, “It’s just frustrating. And you’re so _good_ at it.”

“At this, sure,” Nico says, “but remember Charms last week, when Alex said there were seven principles of locomotion, and you said no, there were eight? Do you know how many I got?”

Karolina shrugs.

“Four,” Nico says. “We all have our strengths. Charms clearly isn’t mine.”

“No, hey,” Karolina says. “I’m sure you did great.”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. But either way, I’m probably going to do pretty well in Potions, and I for sure passed Defense Against the Dark Arts. And no matter how you do tomorrow, you’ll be fine, too, okay?”

“Okay,” Karolina says.

“Awesome,” Nico says. She lies down with her head in Karolina’s lap, and Karolina’s fingers drift automatically to her hair. “Now,” she says, “tell me the key ingredients in Polyjuice Potion.”

 

==

 

The next day, Karolina goes into the written half of the Potions OWL feeling nervous, but also knowing she did everything she could to prepare. And she finds it difficult, to be sure, but it’s not as bad as she feared.

The afternoon’s practical goes about as well as it could. She’s seated next to Nico, and though they’re not allowed to talk, just having Nico beside her again relaxes her. When time is called at the end of the exam and they’ve each turned in a sample flask of their potion, Karolina lets out a sigh of relief and Nico grins at her.

They have Wednesday off (except for Gert, who’s taking her Ancient Runes OWL), and they spend the day studying for Arithmancy. Thursday morning is their written Astronomy test; because their practical isn’t until midnight, the afternoon is spent instead on Arithmancy.

After Arithmancy, they join Gert in the library and spend the hours until midnight reviewing star charts. When the Astronomy practical is finally over at 2 am, Karolina collapses into bed, exhausted.

Their last exam, History of Magic, has no practical component so it’s left until the afternoon so the fifth years can get some last minute studying in - or, more likely, catch up on the sleep they missed while taking Astronomy the previous night. The five of them spend the morning in the Gryffindor common room, Nico half-sprawled in Karolina’s lap as they share notes. And then, after three hours of answering questions about goblin rebellions and giant wars and international confederations of wizards, they’re finally free.

Karolina leaves the Great Hall under Chase’s arm, her other hand linked with Nico’s, talking and laughing as they congratulate each other on the end of exams.

Julie is waiting for her just outside the door, flowers in her hand and a huge smile on her face.

“Congratulations, everyone!” she says, tugging Karolina away from her friends to kiss her.

“Gross,” Karolina says. “I don’t think I’ve showered since last Monday.”

“I don’t care,” Julie says, kissing her again, “I feel like I haven’t seen you since last Monday, either.”

“Fair enough,” Karolina says, letting Julie sling an arm around her shoulders and melting into her girlfriend’s side.

 

==

 

The rest of term passes quickly. Karolina splits her time between her friends and Julie, and it actually _works_.

She can tell Nico still doesn’t really like Julie all that much, but she’s at least making an effort now instead of just shutting Karolina out. Nico actually consents to take Alex on a double date with Karolina and Julie for the last Hogsmeade trip of the year, and it goes surprisingly well, Nico finally seeming to warm to her girlfriend.

(At Honeydukes, Julie and Nico even bond over their shared hatred of Karolina’s favorite sour cherry gummies.

“Nice to see you haven’t given up on those disgusting things,” Nico says, watching with distaste as Karolina buys an enormous bag.

“I know, right?” Julie says. “I don’t know how she eats so many, they taste like cough potion.”

“I’ve been telling her that exact thing for years,” Nico says.

Karolina finishes paying and turns around to find the two of them are actually _smiling_ at each other.

“You’re both wrong,” she proclaims, stuffing a handful into her mouth. “More for me, though.”

She’s met with two identical looks of fond exasperation.)

Things are finally, _finally_ going right, which is why Karolina doesn’t see it coming when everything starts to fall to pieces.

It begins two days before the end of term. Karolina and Julie are lying on the sloping lawn outside the castle, holding hands and relishing the end of exams.

Karolina is looking up at the clouds, the two of them idly debating the odds that the Cannons will win their first championship in nearly a century this year, when suddenly Julie confesses in a nervous rush.

“I got recruited by the Tornadoes. They want me to start training this summer.”

“Babe, that’s awesome!” Karolina says, sitting up to wrap Julie in a hug.

Julie returns it halfheartedly, and Karolina pulls back, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! I’m really excited, the Tornadoes are my dream team. It’s just— if I take it, I won’t be coming back for seventh year.”

“Oh,” Karolina says dumbly.

She’s happy for Julie, really. But everything in her life had finally seemed like it was falling into place, and now that’s all been turned sideways.

“So?” Julie prompts. “What do you think?”

“Are you crazy?” Karolina says, recovering quickly from the initial shock, “Of course you should take it!”

Julie beams, and Karolina knows that she’s said the right thing.

“You think so?”

Karolina nods vigorously, and Julie leans in to kiss her.

“I know we thought we’d have another year here before I left,” she says, “but we can figure it out, right? I have my Apparition license now, so I can come visit all the time.”

“Okay,” Karolina says, holding Julie tightly, “yeah, we’ll figure it out.”

The next few days, as Julie’s last at Hogwarts, suddenly seem vitally important. But they fly by, and before Karolina knows it she’s kissing Julie goodbye on Platform 9 ¾ and promising to write.

Karolina might not have Julie at school next year, but at least she has Nico back. And, when it comes down to it, which of them would she rather have anyway?

(She refuses to let herself answer.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there used to be 2x as many facts about owls so thx jordan for making me cut it down
> 
> yell at me @ lyrikaokano on tumblr


	8. year 6.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> karolina and nico spend two months living together but they're Not in love

When their OWL results arrive, Karolina is staying at Nico’s house, there for the summer while her parents shoot a movie. So far, her summer has been amazing. For once, she’s not having a crisis over her love life— in fact, it’s more stable than it’s ever been. She and Julie write constantly, and despite her worst fears, Karolina’s parents were completely charmed by Julie when she came to visit before Karolina left for the Minorus. And now that she’s here, having Nico all to herself is better than she could have imagined.

And she likes the Minorus’ house. It’s almost as big as Chase’s, and though her yard isn’t engineered for Quidditch in quite the same way, there’s still more than enough space to fly. Nico protests halfheartedly whenever Karolina wants to practice instead of hanging out with her, but she seems to enjoy herself nonetheless. She whiles away the time Karolina spends practicing either flying in aimless loops or lying on the grass and just watching while Karolina shoots through the air above her.

Two weeks into her stay, they’re making pancakes in Nico’s enormous kitchen - or rather, Nico is making pancakes and Karolina is sitting on the counter eating chocolate chips out of the bag - when Karolina freezes at the sight of the owls approaching the window. Instead of the usual great gray swooping in with the morning’s mail, there are three barn owls, and they’re all unfamiliar.

“Nico,” Karolina says sharply, throwing a chocolate chip to get her attention.

Nico looks up when it bounces off her forehead, flour smeared across her cheek and a half-formed protest on her lips. She looks so cute that Karolina forgets momentarily what she was going to say.

“What?”

Karolina snaps out of it, pointing towards the birds out the window.

“I think our exam results are here.”

Nico drops her mixing spoon, shoving the bowl of half-finished pancake batter hastily onto the counter.

“Amy!” she yells. “Come get your NEWTs!”

Nico’s sister Amy comes dashing into the kitchen just as the owls soar one by one through the window, landing gracefully in front of them.

With trembling fingers, Karolina unties the letter addressed to her from the leg of the rightmost owl,. The moment she’s done, it takes off into the sky.

She slits open the envelope, heart racing, and unfolds the sheet of parchment inside. Most of her grades aren’t particularly surprising— she notes with pride that she got top grades in both Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. But the one she’s really looking for is Potions, and she scans down the list until she finds it near the bottom. There, next to the subject name in black ink, is a small E.

She can’t help the smile that breaks across her face, heart still beating fast.

“Did okay, then?” Nico asks, noting her expression.

“I got an E in Potions!” Karolina shouts, waving the parchment in front of Nico’s face.

“I can see that,” Nico laughs, grabbing at the sheet to hold it still so she can read the rest of Karolina’s grades, “Congratulations.”

“All because of you,” Karolina says. “I definitely would have failed without you.”

She leans down and presses a kiss to Nico’s cheek.

“So, thanks,” she finishes awkwardly.

“No problem,” Nico says, a little dazedly.

“So?” Karolina prompts. “How’d you do?”

“Not bad,” Nico says. She offers her results to Karolina, Amy appearing behind her to read over Karolina’s shoulder. Nico’s grades look fairly similar to her own, though with a top grade in Potions and a middling one in Charms.

“Nine OWLs, Nico!” Amy says, hugging her sister tightly, “Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Nico says, her voice muffled through Amy’s embrace. “Did you get all the NEWTs you needed to study Healing?”

“Yep,” Amy says, releasing Nico and ruffling her hair. “Ooh, are you making pancakes?”

 

==

 

For the first time since starting at Hogwarts, Karolina doesn’t want the summer to end. Sure, she misses the rest of her friends, and classes, and Quidditch, and Julie (but she won’t be at school in the fall anyway). But she loves spending time alone with Nico, with no obligations but the summer homework they had finished in the first week. They’re still not allowed to use magic outside of school, so instead they hang out around Nico’s house and explore the surrounding hiking trails, or else take Floo Powder into London and wander the city.

Karolina even manages to rope Nico into seeing a movie with her. Growing up, going to a theater had been a novelty for Karolina. Having actors as parents had meant she mostly got early screeners to watch at home, and spending nine months out of the year totally cut off from technology only made trips to the movies more infrequent. But she’s always loved the experience, and so one day when they’re in London she drags a protesting Nico into the popcorn line with her.

(Nico is skeptical at first, claiming that muggle technology is just a poor substitute for magic, but by the end of _Into the Spider-Verse_ she’s enraptured.

“Are you _positive_ they didn’t use magic?” she asks more than once as they leave the theater, and Karolina can’t help but smugly rub it in for the rest of the day.)

As the summer goes on, Karolina finds herself writing Julie less and less, but she rationalizes it as just having less to tell her— and she’ll see her soon enough, anyway. Julie had mentioned in one of her previous letters that she’ll be coming to see Karolina off at Platform 9 ¾.

Besides, it’s easy to tell herself that she just doesn’t have time, as she throws herself into another adventure with Nico.

(Nico comes up to her one day when she’s halfway through a letter to Julie and struggling to think of anything to write about that doesn’t center around Nico.

“Whatcha doing?” she asks playfully, wrapping her arms around Karolina’s neck from behind her.

“Writing Julie,” Karolina says.

Nico tenses almost imperceptibly against her back. “Well, tell her I say hi.”

“Will do,” Karolina says. Nico releases her shoulders to leave her to writing her letter, and Karolina puts her pen down with just the smallest twinge of guilt.

“Actually you know what?” she asks, her voice artificially bright. “This can wait. Wanna go see a movie?”

Nico’s pleased smile almost makes her forget about the tightness in her chest. Almost.)

 

==

 

Nico’s seventeenth birthday is at the end of August, the week before they return to school. She claims that she doesn’t want to do anything but Karolina plans a trip to Diagon Alley nonetheless, to meet up with their friends and buy their supplies for the upcoming year.

The morning of, Karolina wakes up early. She’s been sharing Nico’s enormous bed all summer, but they’ve so far done an admirable job of sticking to their own sides, and Karolina manages to climb out without rousing her.

She creeps silently around the foot of the bed before diving onto the Nico-shaped lump of blankets on the other side.

“Happy birthday!”

“Karolina— what—”

Nico opens her eyes blearily, hair falling into her eyes as she blinks awake. Karolina settles firmly on top of her, leaning closer.

“Happy birthday.”

Nico groans, groping for the wand on her bedside table and pointing it up at Karolina.

Karolina gasps, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Nico flicks her wand and with a sudden flash of light Karolina is dangling upside down, hoisted into the air as though there’s an invisible rope around her ankle.

“That’s what you get,” Nico grins.

“You’re legally allowed to do magic now, and _this_ is the first spell you do?”

Karolina lunges for her, still suspended in the air, and Nico avoids her easily.

“Let me down,” Karolina pouts, spinning gently above the foot of Nico’s bed.

“Are you done attacking me?”

Karolina nods vigorously.

“Fine,” Nico says, and with a second flash of light Karolina lands in a heap back on the bed.

The second she’s released Karolina pounces, grabbing for Nico’s wrists and trapping them above her head so she can’t jinx her again.

Nico’s breath hitches, and Karolina realizes suddenly the position they’re in. She’s straddling Nico’s hips, her grip on Nico’s arms bringing their faces inches apart.

Nico’s eyes drift to her mouth and Karolina jerks back, scrambling off the bed.

She laughs awkwardly, an attempt to relieve the newfound tension between them, and starts towards the door. “Come on birthday girl, I’m cooking you breakfast.”

“No you aren’t,” Nico says, rolling quickly out of bed and chasing after her, “I’ve seen you try to cook. I’ll do it myself.”

 

==

 

Early that afternoon, they emerge from the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron to find Chase, Gert, Molly, and Alex waiting for them.

“Happy birthday, Nico!” Chase shouts, disregarding the soot on Nico’s clothes and pulling her into an enormous hug.

“Thanks,” Nico says, muffled against his shoulder, before she manages to extricate herself.

“Happy birthday,” Alex echoes, leaning in to kiss her.

Karolina looks away. Nico hadn’t brought up what had happened for the rest of the morning, so Karolina is doing her best to disregard it as well. She reminds herself forcefully that she and Nico are both in relationships, so even if Nico _was_ interested - which she’s not - nothing can happen between them.

They spend the day wandering the shops and stocking up on what they’ll need for the upcoming year. For some reason, their packing list this year includes dress robes, and Karolina has grown several inches over the past year and has to get fitted for new school robes as well, so she’s not there when Nico buys hers. When they meet up she sees a navy sleeve poking out of Nico’s bag.

“What, no black?” she teases.

“She tried,” Molly assures her, “but we ganged up on her, so she compromised. Wish we’d had you there to help, then maybe we could have gotten her into something brighter. Like pink!”

Nico rolls her eyes.

“No, because I bet Karolina got pink, and that would be too much even for her.”

Karolina elbows Nico lightly. “Rude.”

“Am I right, though?”

“Well, yes,” Karolina admits, and Nico smirks.

Gert’s eyes flick back and forth between them like she’s trying to catch some secret just out of her reach. Eventually she settles for, “You two have been spending too much time together.”

“No such thing,” Karolina proclaims, wrapping an arm around Nico and squashing her against Karolina’s side.

Nico groans.

They finish off their afternoon back at the Leaky Cauldron, where Chase insists on buying them all a round of drinks. He comes back from the bar with their usual butterbeers, but after a round or two he also passes around a flask of firewhiskey.

As a result, Karolina is pleasantly tipsy as she and Nico make their way back home. The alcohol makes the dizzying effect of the Floo Powder more pronounced than usual, and she stumbles when she lands in the Minorus’ fireplace. Nico catches her with a warm, solid arm around her waist.

“Sorry,” Karolina giggles as she falls into her.

“It’s okay,” Nico breathes. Her voice sounds lower than usual, and her eyes are dark and conflicted when Karolina turns to look at her.

Karolina opens her mouth, a half-formed thought on the tip of her tongue. Before she can articulate it fully, Nico releases Karolina abruptly and takes a step back, busying herself brushing the soot off of Karolina’s shoulders.

Her eyes are clear now, and Karolina decides it must have been the imagination of her semi-inebriated self that saw anything in them at all.

 

==

 

On September first, Julie runs up to Karolina on the platform, picking her up and spinning her around.

“Hey,” Karolina says into her neck, soaking in as much of Julie’s warm presence as she can. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Julie says, still holding Karolina tightly. “How was the rest of your summer?”

“It was good,” Karolina says, taking Julie’s hand, “Nico’s house is really nice. Lots of space for Quidditch. How about yours?”

“Pretty great, all my new teammates are super nice. I thought about you a lot, though.”

Karolina’s stomach twists guiltily; after the first few weeks, she’d been having too much fun with Nico to think about Julie much at all. She pushes it down though, leading Julie across the platform to where the rest of her friends are gathered.

“My esteemed former captain,” Julie greets Chase, “gonna take it all again this year?”

“Maybe not,” Chase says easily, “now that you’ve abandoned us to go pro. Karolina, tell your girlfriend that she’s a traitor to her house.”

“Nope,” Karolina grins, “It’ll be way easier for us to beat Gryffindor without this powerhouse. You made the right choice, babe.”

Julie squeezes her hand, pressing affectionately into her side as a whistle blows.

“I gotta go,” Karolina says, leaning in to kiss Julie one last time. “See you soon, yeah?”

“Absolutely,” Julie says. “Have a good first week. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Karolina says. She lets go of Julie’s hand and climbs onto the train behind Chase as it starts to move, and waves until it rounds a corner and Julie vanishes from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter is super plot-heavy so i'm tossing in this nice lil mutual pining filler one first
> 
> sorry it's been so long i have literally no excuse, but the next one is mostly written already so hopefully it'll be up with less of a gap. i'm still working on this fic i promise


	9. year 6.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the story goes from no plot to sO much plot

In her speech at the welcome feast, Professor Danvers derails all their dreams of Quidditch victory.

“I’m pleased to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year!” she says, and the room breaks out in a frenzy of murmurs.

Karolina just gapes. She’s read _Hogwarts: A History_. She knows what happened last time the tournament was held at Hogwarts; and judging by the concerned tone of the whispers around her, so do quite a few other people.

Professor Danvers does her best to allay their fears. She explains how the circumstances under which the last tournament failed were particularly extraordinary, but the framework it laid was strong. Moreover, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have both hosted successful, injury-free tournaments in the years since, so it’s time for Hogwarts to make another attempt.

“Students please note that we will maintain the same seventeen-year age minimum that we’ve enforced in the past. Candidates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in late October, so any Hogwarts students who will be of age by then should start considering whether they want to enter,” Professor Danvers finishes.

Karolina’s first thought is of Nico. She’s seventeen. She could enter.

More than ever, Karolina resents the old traditions that dictate that everyone sit at their house tables for the welcome feast. She can just make out the back of Nico’s head through the gaps in students between them, but nothing about her body language is enough to tell what she’s thinking.

Karolina spends the rest of the feast anticipating its end.

When she and Molly meet up with the rest of their friends in the Entrance Hall, an expectant silence falls over the group.

“Well,” Chase says, “What do you all think?”

“I’m not seventeen until December,” Alex says, “so that’s gonna be a no for me.”

“Same here, my birthday is in January,” Karolina says.

“Yeah,” Gert says. “I think it’s just you and Nico.”

“I think I’m gonna enter,” Chase says offhandedly.

They all look at Nico, who shrugs. “I dunno.”

“You should do it,” Karolina says. “I think you’d do really well.”

Nico looks appraisingly at her. “I’ll think about it.”

 

==

 

The following day, they start their new classes as NEWT students.

After her surprising performance on her Potions OWL (combined with quite a lot of coercing from Nico), Karolina is continuing with Potions. Even so, she’s only in six classes— one less than Nico, who’s now enrolled in the mysterious, infrequently-offered Alchemy in addition to her normal load.

Their pared-down schedules come with several free periods— which, combined with the lack of Quidditch this year due to the Tournament, means Karolina suddenly has quite a bit of free time.

At first it’s a luxury. Julie visits several times in the first month, and Karolina uses her luxurious new free periods to sneak her through the Honeydukes passage into the castle.

(After the first time, Nico asks where she was.

“Julie’s in town,” Karolina says, “so I snuck her up to my dorm.”

Nico frowns. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Her disapproving tone catches Karolina off guard. Sure, she knew Nico wasn’t Julie’s number one fan, but she had thought Nico had at least stopped actively disliking her.

“It’s the middle of the day,” Karolina says, “it was empty.”

“Still, what if you get caught? Has she even thought about the consequences for you?”

“That’s not fair,” Karolina says, stung. “It was more my idea than hers. And I know you don’t like Julie very much, but she’s still my girlfriend. Can’t you just be happy for me?”

Nico looks at her, and her eyes soften.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Nico doesn’t bring it up again, but her words stick in Karolina’s mind. When Julie visits again the next day, Karolina tells her that maybe they should just hang out on the grounds from now on. Julie agrees easily, and they spend most of the rest of Karolina’s free period making out behind the greenhouses.

Karolina does her best to just enjoy her girlfriend’s company and not think about why she feels so guilty.)

As the term progresses, the amount of homework they’re expected to do eats away at nearly all of Karolina’s Julie-filled hours, and she finds that she’s almost glad to have the nights she’d usually be at Quidditch practice free as she dozes off on Nico’s shoulder in the Slytherin common room, trying to learn the theory behind conjuration.

It’s during one of their free periods, a month into the term, that Nico brings up entering the tournament again. They’re in the Hufflepuff common room - in theory working on a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay on the best way to handle dementors, but neither of them has written a word in hours. Five minutes ago, Nico lay sideways across the couch they’re sharing with a sigh and tossed her legs across Karolina’s lap, and Karolina hasn’t been able to think about anything else since.

“Hey,” Nico says suddenly, shocking Karolina out of thinking about whether it would be inappropriate to rest her hand on Nico’s leg. Karolina turns to give Nico her full attention.

“Yeah?”

“About the tournament. Do you really think I should enter?”

Karolina shifts on the couch, sitting up so she can look Nico more fully in the eyes.

“Yeah, I do. I meant it when I said you’d be good at it.”

“Thanks,” Nico smiles. She hesitates. “Even— even with how dangerous it is?”

Karolina forces herself out of her own head enough to grip Nico’s ankle comfortingly.

_(It’s platonic, it’s fine.)_

“I mean, it’s much safer now, right? Besides, from what I’ve read about past tournaments they’re like, 80% Defense Against the Dark Arts, and you’re incredible at that.”

Nico grins. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’m in.”

“Are you sure?” Karolina says quickly. Because no matter what she thinks, it needs to be Nico’s decision. “You can still think about it, it doesn’t actually start for another month.”

“Nope, too late,” Nico says. “Besides, the winner gets eternal glory _and_ a thousand Galleons. Who could pass that up?”

Karolina snorts. “Yeah, because you really need the money. I’ve been to your house, remember?”

“Maybe I do. Not all of us can be pro Quidditch players.”

“Very funny,” Karolina says.

But Nico’s comment makes her think of Julie, the only professional Quidditch player she knows and also her _girlfriend_. Without conscious thought her hand has started stroking Nico’s ankle, thumb moving back and forth against the exposed skin above her sock. Abruptly she shoves Nico’s legs off her lap, pulling her essay back towards herself.

“Come on, we need to finish this by Thursday.”

(She tells herself that the disappointed expression she sees on Nico’s face is just a projection of her own feelings.)

 

==

 

The whole school buzzes with anticipation all throughout October, and the twelve-student delegations of potential tournament candidates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive the day before Halloween.

“Are you still going to enter?” Karolina asks Nico, when they’ve settled into the Great Hall with pale blue and scarlet robes scattered among the black.

“Yeah,” Nico says, “I dunno if I’ll get it, though.”

“Of course you will,” Chase says.

“Aren’t you entering, too?” Nico asks.

“Yep, so it’s good that you’ll be champion. Takes the pressure off me actually getting picked. At least this way I can say I tried.”

Nico grins, shushing him as Professor Danvers stands up to welcome their guests and introduce the “impartial judge” that’s going to be choosing the champions.

Professor Parker carries an enormous chest to the table in front of her, out of which is drawn a large, roughly-carved wooden goblet full of blue flames.

“The goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall directly after this,” Professor Danvers says. “If anyone wishes to enter, they should write their name and school on a slip of paper, and place it into the goblet. Tomorrow night, it will choose the three people it deems most worthy of representing their schools.”

As they leave the hall, Chase joins a cluster of people around the goblet. Karolina looks at Nico questioningly, but Nico shakes her head.

“Not yet, there’s too many people. I’ll do it tomorrow.” She glances back over at the crowd of tournament hopefuls. “Meet me back here in the morning?”

“Of course,” Karolina says, and Nico smiles briefly at her before wishing her good night.

 

==

 

Karolina wakes up early the next morning. Their first class is at nine, so there’s no chance Nico will get to the Entrance Hall before eight. Factoring in the time it’ll take her to do her makeup, it’s more likely she’ll show up closer to 8:15, so she just needs to get there before that.

She times it perfectly; she’s been waiting in the Entrance Hall for less than a minute by the time Nico arrives at 8:14.

“You sure?” Karolina asks again. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“Yeah,” Nico says. “Let’s do this.”

Karolina notes the plural in the declaration and the slight quaver in Nico’s voice, and when she offers her hand Nico takes it with relief painted across her face.

“Ready?” Karolina asks.

Nico nods, and they walk together towards the goblet in the center of the hall, a thin gold line drawn around it to keep underage students from attempting to enter.

“Okay, here goes,” Nico says when they reach the edge. She squeezes Karolina’s hand once before releasing it to step across the line, and tosses a folded piece of parchment into the flames flickering in the cup. The flames flare red for a moment before dying back down.

Nico’s body sags a little.

“Shit, what did I just get myself into?”

Karolina aches to hold her, unable to step over the line keeping underage students away from the goblet. The second Nico is back across, she pulls her into a tight hug. She runs her hand soothingly down Nico’s back and Nico sinks into her, exhaling heavily.

“Hey,” she says, “no matter what name comes out of that cup tonight, you know I’ve got you, right? Me, and Alex, and Chase, and Gert, and Molly. You’re not going to have to do any of it alone.”

“Thanks,” Nico says, muffled into Karolina’s shoulder. She wraps her arms tighter around Karolina’s waist.

That night at dinner, Karolina is so nervous about the champions being chosen that she barely notices what she’s eating. Next to her, Nico hasn’t touched her food, too busy craning around every few seconds to glance at the goblet at the front of the hall. When Professor Danvers finally stands up and announces that the Goblet of Fire is ready to choose the champions, Karolina lets her fork clatter to her plate with a sigh of relief.

The flames in the goblet suddenly turn from their normal electric blue to a deep crimson, and the crowd in the hall gasps as a tendril of fire shoots out. Professor Danvers catches the slip of paper snared at the end and unfolds it.

“The Beauxbatons champion,” she reads, “is Victor Mancha!”

Applause rings through the hall, and a tall, brown-haired boy gets up from his seat and makes his way up to the front of the hall and through a side door where the champions are meant to gather.

As he vanishes through it the hall goes quiet, and another flame shoots out of the goblet.

“The Durmstrang champion is Xavin Tarnax!”

Xavin is even taller than Victor, and shockingly beautiful. When they get up Karolina forgets for a moment about the Hogwarts champion still to be chosen, entranced by the one long, thin braid falling out of Xavin’s bun as they follow Victor’s path through the hall. Then they disappear through the same door, and she snaps out of it.

When the hall quiets again there’s an air of tense anticipation; just the Hogwarts champion left now. Next to her, Nico looks like she’s about to throw up. Karolina takes her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze, and Nico smiles gratefully at her.

There’s a collective intake of breath as the flames turn red for the third time.

“The Hogwarts champion,” Professor Danvers calls, “is Nico Minoru!”

“Told you,” Karolina whispers into Nico’s ear over the applause. “Congratulations!”

Nico squeezes her hand again as she climbs out of her seat, and then she too disappears through the door at the top of the hall.

 

==

 

Over the next few weeks, Karolina throws herself into helping Nico prepare for the tournament. They’re together so often now that she sometimes forgets that she and Nico weren’t talking at all just nine months ago. She can barely remember how she filled the time without her.

The first task, Nico tells her, is “designed to test their daring.” So they spend a lot of time in the library looking up new and difficult spells that would be useful in a pinch - complicated countercurses, defenses against large magical creatures, spells to help humans survive in hostile environments. Nico masters most of them remarkably quickly, and Karolina finds herself mesmerized by Nico’s abilities: the way she can  grasp a difficult spell or find exactly what she’s looking for in a book in minutes. Watching Nico work, Karolina realizes that choosing Nico as the champion was obvious. It could never have been anybody else.

 

==

 

With her days filled with preparations and her mind occupied with spells and plans, Karolina’s letters to Julie slow to a trickle.

Some of it, at least, she thinks she can attribute to Julie being busy; Julie, too, is sending far less mail than she used to.

When they first started long distance there had been a maximum of three days between letters, so it startles her when she realizes one day that it’s been almost two weeks since they last spoke.

But it’s why Karolina isn’t particularly surprised when, two days before the first task, a letter from Julie arrives in the morning’s post that just says _I’ll be in Hogsmeade next weekend. I think we need to talk._

Karolina is halfway through her avocado toast when she gets the letter, and she quickly covers it with her forearm, for once grateful that Nico has never really warmed to Julie and so never tries to read her letters over Karolina’s shoulder. Before anyone else can ask about it she pulls out her quill, scribbles _sounds good_ on the back of the parchment, and sends the owl off again.

“Julie?” Gert asks, as Karolina’s eyes follow the owl’s path out of the hall.

Karolina nods absently. She’s not sure why she feels the need to keep it a secret. Everybody must have noticed by now that she hasn’t been talking with Julie as much as she used to.

No, that’s a lie. It’s because Nico is watching her curiously, and the first task is in _two days_ , and no matter what her situation with Julie is like, Nico is more important right now.

So she ignores the unpleasant pit in her stomach and does the best to put the letter out of her mind.

 

==

 

On the day of the first task, Karolina walks down to the temporary arena set up on the Quidditch pitch with Alex, Gert, Molly, and Chase.

She can feel her heart pounding in her throat.

Nico had been collected from the lunch table an hour earlier. She had kissed Karolina (on the forehead), kissed Alex (on the mouth), and departed with a smile too shaky to be reassuring.

(Karolina had wondered, briefly, what would happen if she just refused to let her go, because people have _died_ doing these tasks. But Nico’s hand had slipped out of hers, and she’d turned to follow Professor Walters out of the hall, and Karolina was left to stare at her retreating back and try to convince herself that Nico would be okay.)

“Hey,” Alex says, noticing Karolina’s anxious expression. “She’ll be fine.”

He doesn’t sound entirely sure of his own words, but Karolina forces herself to nod in agreement.

_Nico will be fine._

When she sees what the champions will be facing, though, she’s less sure. A cerberus — a great, brown three-headed dog the size of an elephant — emerges from one end of the arena, the chains used by its handlers to tame it still trailing from its neck. Its three heads roar angrily at the assembled crowd as it paces back and forth in front of a small golden sphere on a plinth.

Xavin is the first of the champions to face the beast. They throw a variety of curses at it, jumping and weaving to avoid its fangs as spell after spell dissipates harmlessly against its thick fur. After several long, tense minutes, they hit one of the heads in the eye, and it rears back, howling.

Xavin dashes forwards, seizing the sphere, and trainers rush into the arena to subdue the cerberus the moment Xavin completes the task.

Karolina claps politely as it’s taken away and replaced by a second creature that’s just as large, though this one’s fur is spotted instead of brown. This time it’s Victor that has to retrieve a sphere, and after twenty minutes he, too, manages it.

Just before he grabs the sphere, though, the rightmost of the cerberus’ snapping jaws catches him in the shoulder; he still completes the task, but is rushed immediately off to a medical tent with his arm a bloody and mangled mess.

Karolina feels like she’s about to throw up as a third, jet-black cerberus is released into the arena, the sight of Victor’s arm still fresh in her mind.

A minute later Nico emerges. She looks so _small_ compared to the enormous creature before her, and Karolina can’t help but want to run into the arena and drag Nico to safety.

Nico tries a few spells, shooting powerful bolts of light that explode into sparks against the cerberus’s side, doing no damage. It lunges, and Nico barely jumps back in time.

Alex inhales sharply next to her, and Karolina knows how he feels. The stands are dead silent, and it’s taking everything she has not to scream every time those giant teeth get a little too close to her best friend. Her hands are clenched tight with anxiety, fingernails creating indents in her palms.

Down in the arena, Nico is still dodging the cerberus’s attacks. Her saving grace is that the enormous dog doesn’t seem to want to get too far from the sphere it’s protecting, so as long as she stays far enough away it won’t come after her.

After yet another failed attempt to duck under its snapping heads during which one of its jaws snaps shut where Nico’s arm had been a split second before — Karolina feels her fingernails break skin — Nico goes to retreat a safe distance away.

But as she does the cerberus lunges again, and this time it connects.

The scream that escapes Karolina’s lips is echoed throughout the crowd. Nico’s robes are ripped through at the shoulder, and she’s holding her arm in a way that makes it clear that she’s hurt.

Nico ducks behind a pile of boulders. Her shoulder is bleeding freely but the cut doesn’t seem to be deep, and she waves away the handlers that have stepped forward, indicating that she wants to finish the task.

Finally, she steps back out into the open, this time directing her wand not at the dog but at the rocks between them. One of them shifts, turning round and green until Nico has an ordinary - albeit giant - muggle tennis ball sitting in front of her. With another flick of her wand, it flies over the cerberus’s head and into a corner of the arena.

The cerberus pauses, clearly torn, before its animal nature gets the best of it and it bounds off. Nico runs out from behind the cover of the rocks and towards the now-unguarded sphere, scooping it up while all three of the cerberus’s heads fight over the ball.

And just like that, the first task is over.

Karolina is hoarse with cheering by the time Nico’s scores are released. The second the crowd is allowed to exit the stadium she’s out of her seat, rushing down to the medical tent.

She’s not sure she’s allowed in, but technically no one has told her she’s not so she barges inside. Nico is sitting on a table, her arm freshly healed. The edges of her robes ripped from the cerberus’s fangs are pulled back to reveal unbroken skin underneath, still smoking slightly from the medic’s spell.

Nico’s face lights up when Karolina enters the tent, and she hops off the table just in time to catch Karolina as she throws herself at Nico.

“You were amazing!” Karolina yells.

“Thanks,” Nico laughs, finding her feet and wrapping her arms tightly around Karolina’s waist.

“Seriously,” Karolina says. “That whole time, all I could think about was what happened to Mancha and how I told you to enter, and if you died it would be all my fault. Especially after you got hurt— that was so scary. But you did great! You’re in second place!”

“I wasn’t gonna die, you dummy,” Nico says, rubbing Karolina’s back comfortingly. “They have a crazy amount of safety precautions. Look, I’m totally fine now. And hey, one down two to go, right?”

“Don’t remind me,” Karolina groans. She pulls back to run her fingers along the rapidly-fading scar where Nico had gotten bit.

Nico exhales shakily, her eyes locked on where Karolina is touching her. Karolina, too, feels like she’s in a sort of trance. Her whole body goes still except for her hand on Nico’s shoulder.

The tent flap opens to reveal Alex, with Gert, Molly, and Chase half a step behind him, and Karolina snatches her hand away.

She steps back as the rest of their friends offer Nico hugs and congratulations, and hopes none of them notice how much her face is burning.

 

==

 

Once the first task is over, with months until the second, Julie’s imminent visit looms once more in Karolina’s mind.

(Ironic, since the reason it’s happening at all is because Karolina wasn’t thinking enough about Julie to begin with.)

“What do you want to happen?” Nico asks, in the library during one of their joint free periods, once Karolina has filled her in on the letter she got before the first task. They’re meant to be studying, but Karolina has been worrying over Julie for the last twenty minutes instead.

Not for the first time, Karolina presses her forehead into the table.

“Honestly? I don’t know.”

“Well,” Nico says gently, “What’s the issue?”

Karolina opens her mouth to respond, and the words get stuck in her throat.

She still cares about Julie— loves her, even. But long distance is a lot harder than she thought it would be. And she feels _guilty_ about the warmth in her stomach every time Nico hugs her, or smiles at her, or she catches herself staring at Nico for a second too long. She was so sure she was over her crush, but spending the summer with only Nico for company — sharing her bed — has brought her old feelings back to the surface.

And no matter how much she loves Julie, she doesn’t know if she can reconcile their relationship with her growing feelings for Nico. Maybe breaking up would be better for both of them, in the long run.

But she can’t tell Nico most of that.

So she gives her the abridged version, says, “I don’t want to lose her, but we’re both so busy and distance is _hard_.”

“Hey,” Nico says. “I’m here for you, no matter what happens.”

She covers Karolina’s hand with hers, runs her thumb soothingly over the inside of Karolina’s wrist, and Karolina suppresses a shiver at Nico’s touch.

And see, that’s the problem right there, isn’t it?

 

==

 

After a week of anxious anticipation, the day of Julie’s visit arrives. It’s during a Hogsmeade weekend, so Karolina is at least spared the necessity of using the tunnel to Honeydukes. Trying to figure out everything she wants to say to Julie is easier in the fresh air.

Julie is waiting for her by the gate to the village. She greets the group with a smile and a wave, but she doesn’t kiss Karolina hello the way she usually does. They haven’t said a word to each other yet, and Karolina can already tell the direction their conversation is headed.

When she bids her friends goodbye, Nico gives her a reassuring smile that soothes the frayed edges of her nerves. Julie looks between them with a frown, and Karolina immediately feels guilty again. And Julie still takes her hand as they walk, but they don’t talk and the air between them feels heavy.

Eventually, on a winding road out of the village, Julie stops. She lets go of Karolina’s hand to bury her own deep in the pockets of her robes.

“I don’t think this is working,” she starts.

Karolina was expecting this, but it doesn’t make it any easier to hear. But really, what can she say? Because no matter how much it hurts, there’s a small, traitorous part of herself that feels relieved.

Julie takes her silence as confirmation, and sighs. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Karolina closes her eyes, wills her racing heart under control.

“I’m sorry,” she offers weakly.

Julie gives her a small, sad smile. “It’s not really your fault. I think we’re honestly both too busy for this. I have practice so much it’s hard for me to find time to even write, much less actually come visit. And you’ve got another year and a half here.”

“Keep in touch?” Karolina asks.

“Yeah,” Julie says. “Maybe not at first, but eventually. And who knows, maybe in a few years we’ll be playing each other again.”

“Maybe,” Karolina smiles.

And just like that, it’s over.

Julie gives her a hug and a “See you around,” and disapparates.

Karolina is left standing in the middle of a deserted road, staring at the spot where her now-ex girlfriend vanished.

(That night, once Karolina has told her what happened, Nico brings Karolina ice cream that she stole from the kitchens. They eat all of it curled up together on an armchair in the Hufflepuff common room, and Karolina falls asleep at one A.M. on Nico’s shoulder.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello I'm back and this time the plot actually advances! also, 80% of my struggle with this fic was coming up with cheap knockoffs of tgof tournament tasks - but yule ball next chap, so worth it??
> 
> as always comment, kudos, hmu @ lyrikaokano on tumblr


	10. year 6.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's the yule ball and shit hits the fan

For the whole month of December, the Yule Ball is all the school can talk about: who’s going with who, and which band will be there, and whether or not Professor Danvers really ordered a hundred barrels of spiced wine for the event.

Karolina’s breakup with Julie is too recent for her to look for another actual date, so she’s just going to go with their friends, a sentiment echoed by both Gert and Molly. (According to Gert, “Dating is so heteronormative, anyway.”)

Besides, the girl she really wants to go with has a boyfriend.

Until, suddenly, she doesn’t.

Karolina doesn’t know most of the details. When she asks Nico about it, Nico just shrugs.

“Honestly, it was a long time coming. I think we’re better as friends anyway.”

(The one tidbit she does let slip is that Alex is the one that broke up with her— “Couldn’t he at least have waited until after the Yule Ball?” she bemoans, the only hint that Nico is in any way affected by the entire affair. “We color coordinated our outfits and everything.”)

Their breakup doesn’t change much about the dynamic of their friend group. For the first week or so Alex hangs out with them less than usual, and then he’s back as though nothing has changed.

But for Karolina, everything is different. Because Nico is single for the first time in over a year. And Karolina tries _so hard_ to not let her mind go there, and to just be there for her friend after her breakup, but she can’t quite help it.

 

==

 

One day during break, with less than two weeks to go until the ball, Nico plops down on the bench next to Karolina with a groan.

“What’s up?” Karolina asks with concern.

“Nothing serious, but Professor Walters is on my case again about having a date to the Yule Ball. Apparently it’s ‘bad form’ to suggest that I would just sit out the part where champions open the dancing. I can’t believe she would value tradition over her own student’s heartbreak.”

The last part is said sarcastically, but Karolina can detect a hint of desperation in her tone.

“Well,” Karolina says haltingly, “I could go with you, if you want?”

The second the words are out of her mouth she wants to kick herself. _Sure, Karolina, why not? Get over your wildly inappropriate crush on your best friend by asking her to a dance_. 

Nico’s face lights up. “Would you really? I mean, only if you’re okay with not having a real date.”

“Of course I will,” Karolina says. She tries to swallow past the lump in her throat at the idea that they won’t be going _together_ together, and nudges Nico lightly. “I wasn’t going to get a ‘real’ date anyway, remember?”

Nico looks relieved.

“Awesome. Thanks.”

She gets up, hesitates, then leans down to kiss Karolina’s cheek.

“I have to get to Arithmancy. See you later, date.”

“Bye,” Karolina says, a second too late.

She can still feel the ghost of Nico’s lips against her skin.

 

==

 

Two days later, Karolina is walking back from Care of Magical Creatures with Gert when Xavin stops them in the Entrance Hall to ask Karolina to lunch.

For a moment, Karolina is stunned into silence.

She’s seen Xavin around, either in the Great Hall at mealtimes or in the library— between being from a different school, a champion, and a good head taller than most of Hogwarts’ student body, they’re pretty hard to miss. But she had no idea Xavin even knew who she was.

Honestly, though? It’s pretty flattering. She’s not sure she’s ever seen Xavin talking to a non-Durmstrang student before.

Karolina hesitates— Xavin is Nico’s competitor, after all. But as their professors incessantly remind them, the true purpose of the tournament is “international magical cooperation,” so really it’s in the spirit of the competition.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Karolina says, suddenly nervous and fiddling with the edge of her robe to try and cover it. “Right now?”

“If that’s okay?”

“Yeah, of course! I was just about to get food with Gert though, is it okay if she joins?”

Xavin frowns slightly, but before Karolina can analyze their expression Gert waves her off with an unnerving smirk.

“Don’t worry about me, I have to go find Molly anyway,” she says, looking between them with an expression that makes Karolina deeply nervous. “You two go ahead.”

She’s gone before Karolina even has a chance to wave goodbye.

“Well, shall we?” Xavin asks, inclining their head in the general direction of the Great Hall where lunch is just starting. Karolina nods and follows them in.

They settle in across from each other at the long table where Xavin usually sits. Karolina suddenly feels distinctly awkward; despite finding Xavin fascinating, she’s barely spoken to them. 

Xavin, however, seems to have no such qualms, immediately leaning forward with their eyes fixed on Karolina. 

“So,” Xavin says, searching Karolina’s face with an intensity that makes her want to turn away. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well,” Karolina says, looking down at her food like the answer might lie in the shape of her kale salad. “I’m muggle-born, so found out about all this—” she waves her hand around the hall— “when I was eleven. Got here, met Nico and everyone, started playing Quidditch, and now here I am. Pretty standard stuff,” she shrugs. 

Xavin shakes their head, grinning. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit. I can’t imagine having to figure out how the magical world works at eleven!” Their enthusiasm is infectious, and Karolina finds herself starting to smile despite herself. 

“What about you?” asks Karolina. “How’d you end up a champion?” 

“Oh you know,” says Xavin offhandedly. “By being the best, I guess.” Their expression turns a little sad. “That’s what my professors keep telling me, anyway. Honestly, at this point I’m sick of speaking about myself.” They roll their eyes. “All the Durmstrang students just want to know how I did it, and everyone here just looks at me like I’m either their personal enemy or the most interesting thing to happen since Charles cheated on Diana.”

Karolina laughs a little at that. “Sounds kind of lonely,” she says. “How do you cope?”

“Well,” says Xavin. “It’s not _all_ bad. I’ve found the company here to be very pleasant at times.” They accompany this last statement with a grin so charming Karolina can feel herself blush from her toes to her scalp. “But as I said, my story is told and retold to meaninglessness. I want to know about _you_. Where are you from? What do your parents do?”

From there, the conversation flows easily. Xavin seems genuinely curious about Karolina’s life, and when Karolina finally slows their barrage of questions long enough to ask a few of her own, turns out to have quite a few interesting things to say as well.  

Karolina finds herself enraptured, to the point where she’s caught off guard when Xavin checks their watch with a sigh. 

“Unfortunately, I need to get to class. This was nice, though. We should do it again sometime.”

Karolina glances at her own wrist to find that forty-five minutes have passed. She’s shocked; her time with Xavin has flown by.

“Yeah, absolutely,” she says. “Maybe I can bring Nico next time! It would be cool for the school champions to finally get a chance to chat outside of all the pressure around the tasks.”

Xavin grimaces. “I admit, I may have had an ulterior motive. I was going to ask you— well, may as well still— would you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?”

“Oh!” Karolina says, taken aback. She’s been so caught up recently in her whole Julie-vs-Nico debate that she hadn’t even thought of Xavin as an option. “I’m so sorry,” she stammers out, blushing under the intensity of Xavin’s gaze. “But I’m already going with Nico.”

“My apologies,” Xavin says, sounding slightly embarrassed. “I did not know the two of you were together.”

“We’re not,” Karolina says quickly. “But I said I’d go with her, since she’s a champion and has to have a dance partner— well, you’d know that already, wouldn’t you? Besides, my girlfriend and I only broke up a few weeks ago, so I wasn’t too interested in finding another date. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

Xavin smiles at Karolina’s rambling.

“It’s no trouble, I understand. I’d like it if we could still be friends, though.”

“Of course!” Karolina says. For all that she’s obviously misread the situation, she actually really likes Xavin.

“Great,” Xavin says, no trace of animosity in their voice. “I suppose I’ll see you at the ball, then.”

In one smooth motion they swing themself off the bench and stand, giving Karolina a final wave before leaving the hall.

Karolina barely has time to gape after them before Gert slides into Xavin’s vacated seat.

“So? How did your date go?”

Karolina laughs sheepishly.

“To be honest, I didn’t realize it was a date until Xavin asked me to the Yule Ball, but it was good! Xavin is really cool.”

Gert doesn’t look surprised. “That’s great! What did you say?”

“I can’t,” Karolina says. “I already told Nico I’d go with her.”

A shit-eating grin grows on Gert’s face, and she leans conspiratorially close.

“You have a thing for Nico.”

“What?” Karolina says nervously, “No I don’t.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna tell anyone or anything,” Gert says. “But you just turned down Xavin to go to the ball with Nico as _friends_. And Xavin is, like, really hot. As rebounds go, you could do worse.”

“It’s not that,” Karolina protests. “Nico needs a date, and she and Alex just broke up. I’m just doing my duty as her best friend. And besides, Nico is straight.”

Gert laughs. “That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve said yet. Have you seen the way she looks at you? That girl is about as straight as I am. Which is not very, just for the record.”

“For what it’s worth,” she continues when Karolina remains silent, “I think she likes you too.”

“How’s your crush on Chase going?” Karolina asks instead of answering.

It’s an obvious attempt at deflection, but it seems to work, because Gert gasps in mock indignation.

“I just told you I’m bi, and the first thing you do is ask me about my crush on the most conventionally attractive boy in our year? Way to conform to heteronormative standards, Karolina.”

“Sorry,” Karolina says, grinning. “I’m honored that you trust me enough to come out to me. But also, most conventionally attractive boy in our year?”

She raises an eyebrow.

“Shut up,” Gert says. When Karolina continues to grin stupidly at her, she sighs. “It’s going about as well as your crush on Nico.”

She looks downcast enough that Karolina starts to feel bad about bringing it up.

“Okay,” Karolina tries, “how’s this: you ask Chase to the Yule Ball, and I’ll consider telling you about this supposed thing I may or may not have for Nico.”

Gert perks up immediately. “Deal. Now come on, we’ve got Transfiguration in ten minutes.”

As they leave the hall to make their way to class they run into Chase, just now headed in for lunch.

“Hi Chase!” Gert says.

“Hey Gert!” he says. “Hey, Karolina!”

Gert stops him as he goes to pass them.

“Watch this,” she tells Karolina in an undertone, before turning back to Chase. “Wanna go to the Yule Ball with me?”

He’s clearly caught off guard, but recovers quickly.

“Sure, but what happened to the concept of taking a date to a ball being a vestige of a patriarchal society that expects girls to get married the minute they’re able to bear children?”

“By asking you instead of waiting around for a man to deem me worthy, I’m doing my part to subvert heteropatriarchal expectations and unlearn toxic ideology regarding gender relations. Now do you want to go or not?” Gert’s tone is impatient but Karolina can see the smile she’s trying to hide.

“Yeah! Sounds great,” Chase says.

“Cool,” Gert says. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

Chase leaves, grinning in a bemused sort of way.

Gert waits until he’s out of earshot and she and Karolina have fully left the Great Hall before turning smugly back to Karolina.

“There you go. Now, where were we?”

Karolina groans.

“Fine. I may have had a giant crush on Nico right around when I came out— so, like fourth year? But it went away after Julie and I got together! Except it started coming back over the summer when I was staying with her, and now that Julie and I are broken up it’s like, _so bad._ ”

Gert laughs. “Yeah, no kidding. Seriously though, you should go for it.”

“I don’t know. Nico and Alex literally _just_ broke up. And me and Julie haven’t been over for very long either. I don’t want it to feel like a desperate rebound or anything.”

“The thing is,” Gert says, “you and Nico have basically been dating for, like, three years as it is. If you actually got together practically nothing would change, except that maybe you would kiss more.”

Karolina closes her eyes, trying desperately not to imagine kissing Nico, and Gert pats her shoulder reassuringly.

“Whatever you decide, I think you two would be really good together.”

“Who would be good together?” a voice asks, and Karolina freezes as Nico joins them outside the Transfiguration classroom.

Gert doesn’t miss a beat. “Karolina and Xavin. They just asked her to the Yule Ball.”

“I turned them down, though,” Karolina says before Nico can respond. “Since I’m already going with you.”

Nico frowns. “You could have said yes, you know. We’re only going as friends.”

Karolina shrugs. “I know, but I wasn’t going to leave you dateless. Besides, we’ll have more fun anyway. Sisters before— well, not misters, but you get the point, right?”

Nico rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t push the issue. And Karolina tells herself that the hint of jealousy she thought she detected in Nico’s tone was only her imagination— no matter what Gert might think.

 

==

 

The night of the Yule Ball, Karolina gets ready in Molly’s dormitory.

She’s ridiculously nervous— there are butterflies in her stomach as she does their makeup, first Molly’s and then her own.

Her dress robes are just as pink as Nico presumed back in Diagon Alley. Molly’s are too, but while Molly’s robes are shockingly bright, Karolina’s are understated, pastel with dark pink accents.

“Ready?” Molly asks as Karolina puts a final pin in her hair.

Karolina wipes her sweaty palms on her robes.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Molly chatters excitedly all the way down to the Entrance Hall where they’re meeting everyone, and Karolina is grateful for the distraction. Her stomach is in knots that only get worse when they arrive and she spots Nico deep in conversation with Alex.

 _Maybe they’ll get back together tonight,_ says an ugly little voice in Karolina’s head.

Just as this unpleasant thought crosses Karolina’s mind, Nico looks up and Karolina forgets it immediately. She, genuinely, truly forgets how to breathe for a second, because Nico looks _incredible._ She’s in navy robes cut low at her neck in a way that accentuates her collarbones, with eyeliner sharp enough to cut glass and lipstick a shade of maroon that perfectly compliments her outfit.

(Karolina wants to kiss it off.)

If Karolina didn’t know better, she’d have said that Nico gapes a little as Karolina and Molly come up to them.

“Hey,” Nico says breathlessly, “You look great.”

“You too,” Karolina manages.

After a few minutes they’re joined by Chase and Gert, who are holding hands and can’t seem to keep their eyes off each other. 

“Bet you five galleons they get together by the end of the night,” Karolina whispers to Molly.

“You’re on,” Molly shoots back. “Have you met them? They’ll probably dance around their feelings for another year at least.”

Before Karolina can respond Professor Walters comes up to them, directing Nico and Karolina to wait by the doors the Great Hall with Xavin, Victor, and their dates so the rest of the school can file in past them.

Nico offers Karolina her arm and Karolina takes it, still a little distracted by just how much she wants to kiss her best friend. As their friends pass, Gert gives Karolina a not-so-subtle wink and a thumbs up.

“What was that about?” Nico asks.

“Nothing,” Karolina says quickly.

Nico narrows her eyes a little, but thankfully drops it. Karolina whiles away the rest of the time before they’re allowed to enter the hall trying to focus on the interesting way Xavin’s earrings are catching the light, and not how right Nico’s arm feels linked through her own.

 

==

 

Finally, they’re allowed inside. Dinner precedes the dancing, and Karolina makes it through without staring at Nico too much.

(She doesn’t know why she’s bothering. Every time she allows herself a glance in Nico’s direction, Nico is concentrating on her food and not looking at her at all.)

She’s almost forgotten the whole reason they’re going together is because they have to open the dancing. But before she knows it dinner is over and the band is filing onto the stage, and Nico is standing up and taking her hand and _oh god,_ it’s time.

Nico leads her onto the dance floor behind Victor and his date, with Xavin just a step behind them.

Nico steps into Karolina’s space, so close that Karolina can count her eyelashes, and Karolina does her best not to dissolve on the spot.

This was a _terrible_ idea.

The band starts up, slow and soulful. Nico brings the hand not wrapped in Karolina’s up to the back of Karolina’s neck, and Karolina slips her arm automatically around Nico’s waist as they step in time to the music. Karolina can feel the school’s eyes on them, and she does her best not to trip over her own feet or do something even stupider, like close the scant inches of distance between her face and Nico’s to kiss her.

After what feels like hours but must be only minutes, the dance floor starts to fill up and they’re no longer the center of attention. When the song ends, Nico drops her hand immediately from Karolina’s neck, and Karolina is forcibly reminded that this isn’t a real date: they went together to open the dance, which they’ve now done. Her job is over.

Nico keeps their other hands intertwined, though, and she leads Karolina off the now-full dance floor to the table where their friends are sitting.

“I’m going to get us drinks,” Nico says. “Anything in particular?”

“Whatever you want,” Karolina says. She needs Nico to leave, needs to have a moment without her to get her head back on straight.

Nico nods, squeezing her hand before disappearing into the crowd around the refreshments. Karolina watches her go, and then turns to see Gert looking at her knowingly.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Gert says, trying unsuccessfully to hide her smirk. “Nico cleans up well, doesn’t she?”

“Hey, I’m right here,” Chase says indignantly.

“So do you, don’t worry,” Gert says, patting his cheek, and Karolina is spared answering as the two of them begin to bicker amicably.

Nico returns moments later with two glasses of spiced wine, handing one to Karolina before taking a seat next to her.

It’s unclear if it’s intentional or a side effect of the small chairs and cramped tables, but Nico is close enough that their legs are touching, and Karolina takes a gulp of her wine. She’s going to need it if she wants to get through the night without doing anything stupid.

At some point during her second glass of wine, Gert and Chase get up to dance. Karolina stays at the table with Nico, Alex, and Molly, talking and laughing and drinking.

As Karolina gets progressively drunker, she becomes more and more aware of two things.

One is Nico’s knee, which has stayed pressed against hers even across their frequent breaks for more alcohol.

The other is the way she and Alex are looking at each other. He’s leaning close, his eyes intent on her face as they talk.

Nico laughs at something Alex says, and Karolina drains her glass. She’s not sure how many she’s had by this point. Three? Four? Regardless, she decides that she can’t take Nico and Alex making eyes at each other anymore and gets up for another drink.

“Hello, Karolina,” a familiar voice says as she approaches the refreshments table.

“Hey, Xavin,” Karolina says.

Even after an evening of dancing Xavin looks incredible, not a hair out of place and robes wrinkle-free. Karolina has spent most of the night so far sitting, and she’s pretty sure even she looks more disheveled.

“Lost your date?” Xavin asks.

“More or less,” Karolina says. “I think she’s about to get back with her ex, so.”

Xavin winces. “Ouch.”

“I mean, it’s not like she owes me anything. She can do whatever she wants.”

“But you have feelings for her,” Xavin observes.

Karolina briefly considers denying it, then sighs. 

“Yeah,” she says, and at Xavin’s understanding look she continues. “It’s just for a while she had a boyfriend and then there was a whole thing with her and my ex and then now we’re _here_ except it’s _not_ supposed to be a date. And I feel so bad because I turned down your invitation even after we had such a nice time and I’m really supposed to be trying to get over her but...” Karolina trails off into an embarrassed silence.

She doesn’t know why she’s telling Xavin everything. She barely even knows them. But Xavin’s eyes are wide and sympathetic, and it feels good to get this off her chest with someone who hasn’t known her since she was eleven. 

“Anyway,” Karolina says in an awkward attempt at conversation, “how are you liking the ball?”

The amused glint in Xavin’s eyes makes Karolina think they know exactly what she’s doing, but they play along nonetheless.

“It’s nice, but it doesn’t quite hold up to Durmstrang’s annual winter party. Last year we had flying ice sculptures, and by the end everyone was outside having a snowball fight.”

“That does sound nice,” Karolina admits.

“You’ll have to see it sometime,” Xavin suggests.

“Maybe I will,” Karolina says.

Is she flirting? It sort of feels like she’s flirting. And it might just be the wine at work, but something about Xavin puts Karolina at ease. Besides, it’s nice to be the center of attention, even if it’s not exactly who she wants it from.

Before Xavin can respond, a hand lands at the small of Karolina’s back.

“Hey,” Nico says. “I wondered where you’d gone. Hi, Xavin.”

Her tone is warm, but there’s a tightness in the way she’s holding herself.

“Hi,” Karolina says, leaning into Nico’s side, “What’s up?”

“Molly wandered off and Alex abandoned me for some girl from Beauxbatons, so I came to see if you wanted to dance?”

Karolina looks quickly over at Xavin, not wanting to seem rude, but Xavin just smiles at her, inclining their head in a _go for it_ motion.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Karolina says. “Nice talking to you, Xavin.”

Xavin winks at her. “Good-bye, Karolina.”

Karolina can feel herself blush slightly as she takes Nico’s hand and follows her towards the dance floor.

“You and Xavin seemed friendly,” Nico says, a dangerous edge to her voice. “What were you guys talking about?”

“Nothing much,” Karolina says. “You were busy with Alex, anyway.”

She can’t quite keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Nico frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind,” Karolina says. She doesn’t need Nico to gush to her about how she’s going to rekindle her relationship.

They’ve reached an empty spot on the dance floor. Nico wraps her free arm around Karolina’s waist, and Karolina drapes hers over Nico’s shoulders. The wine makes her bold; she pulls Nico closer than before, and Nico falls easily into her space.

This close, she can tell Nico has had just as much to drink as she has, her face flushed and her expression more open than usual. And _fuck_ , they’re so close. This is exactly what she didn’t want to happen.

They stay like that, swaying gently to the music, through several songs. Nico is relaxed against her and Karolina forces herself to do the same, no matter how fast her mind is racing. She can’t help but desperately wish this was an actual date instead of one of convenience, no matter how guilty she feels about her overwhelming crush. She can’t get the words _Alex abandoned me for some girl from Beauxbatons_ out of her head.

It suddenly feels like the people around them are boxing them in, and Karolina can’t breathe.

Sometime in the last few minutes Nico has stepped even closer, resting her head in the curve of Karolina’s neck. She pulls back when Karolina tenses, looking up at her with concern.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Karolina manages. (She’s too drunk, and the room is so warm, and Nico’s lips are so red.) “Just hot. Do you want to take a walk?”

Nico nods, and to Karolina’s simultaneous relief and disappointment she lets her hand fall from Karolina’s waist.

Karolina leads them out from the crowded dance floor and through the mostly-empty Entrance Hall into the gardens outside. The shock of the cold sobers her a little as she gasps in a breath of fresh air, but she still feels off balance.

Nico’s hand stays wrapped in hers as they wander along a deserted walkway. Festive bushes and stone statues have been set up between the paths, with twinkling lights strung up between them. It’s terribly romantic, and Nico is so beautiful in the dim light that Karolina can barely look at her.

“Hey,” Nico says after minutes of walking in silence. “Just so you know— I only asked about Xavin because they’re leaving at the end of the year. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

Karolina stops, their joined hands tugging Nico to a halt as well.

“Why is it any of your business?”

“I care about you,” Nico says.

“You’re such a hypocrite. You don’t like anyone I’m interested in, but you dated Alex for a year and a half and I never said _anything._ ”

“What does Alex have to do with this?”

“Like you didn’t start tonight hoping to get back together,” Karolina says. She’s really regretting the wine now— she never would have said that sober.

“That’s insane,” Nico says.

“Whatever,” Karolina scoffs.

Nico softens, her expression pained. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? Just— you’re my best friend.”

All of Karolina’s righteous anger drains out of her in an instant.

“You’re mine, too,” she whispers.

Nico is so close to her, and she’s looking at Karolina so intently. Neither of them say anything for a long moment, and - so fast she’s not entirely sure it actually happened - Karolina watches Nico’s eyes flit to her lips.

And it’s like Karolina’s body has a mind of its own because her brain certainly didn’t authorize the movement, but before she can stop herself she’s throwing caution to the wind, leaning down and pressing her mouth gently against Nico’s.

Nico stiffens against her, and Karolina’s heart plummets.

And she’s about to pull back, to blurt out an apology and hope Nico will still talk to her tomorrow (even though Nico’s lips are just as soft as they look, and _fuck_ Karolina could do this forever) when Nico’s hand wraps around the back of her neck and pulls her closer.

Nico kisses Karolina like she’s trying to prove something, nipping at Karolina’s bottom lip until Karolina opens her mouth. Nico tastes like the spiced wine they had earlier and Karolina drinks her in, trying to savor every moment even as she melts under Nico’s touch. Nico’s tongue slides across the back of Karolina’s teeth and Karolina gasps into her mouth, burying one hand in Nico’s hair and wrapping the other around her waist to bring their bodies closer together.

Karolina loses track of time as they kiss, caught up in the feeling of Nico’s mouth against hers and Nico’s hand on her cheek and the heat of Nico’s body providing a stark contrast against the December air.

She doesn’t realize they’re moving until her back hits a stone deer, hidden between two bushes in a shadowy alcove off the path. Nico presses her up against the statue, breaking the kiss to trail her mouth down Karolina’s throat. Karolina lets her head fall back, whimpering when Nico’s teeth scrape against her pulse.

Nico’s hands feel like they’re everywhere, one trailing down Karolina’s side to settle on her waist while the other tugs at the neck of her dress robes, pulling it askew so Nico can run her lips along Karolina’s collarbone.

Karolina tightens her fist in Nico’s hair and Nico inhales sharply. She pulls away from her assault on Karolina’s neck and Karolina curls her free hand around Nico’s jaw, guiding their lips back together. Nico uses their shift in position to press Karolina harder into the stone behind her, and one of her legs wedges itself between Karolina’s.

Karolina is burning up, every cell in her body laser focused on getting closer to Nico. Her ears are ringing with a chorus of _finally_. 

Suddenly, unbidden, _Alex abandoned me for some girl from Beauxbatons_ forces its way into the haze of her thoughts. And immediately all she can see is the way Nico and Alex were looking at each other, earlier tonight.

The thought that all this is for Nico is a rebound had barely even crossed her mind until just now, but once it does it seems like the only reasonable explanation for— well, for whatever this is. And she won’t let herself be Nico’s rebound. She has that much self-respect, at least.

(That, and the knowledge that if this goes any further and she realizes it was all a game for Nico? That might break her.)

Karolina all but rips her mouth away from Nico’s, and Nico reels back.

“Fuck,” Karolina says.

Now that they’re no longer kissing, the majority of Karolina’s brain previously preoccupied with the feeling of Nico against her is free real estate for all her doubts and fears to come flooding back.

Before she can stop herself Karolina is picturing the worst possible outcome to any declaration of her feelings, so clear in her mind’s eye it’s as though it’s already happened.

 _Oh, you thought this meant something?_ she hears Nico say, a sneer in her voice. 

(Never mind that nothing in either Nico’s behavior so far nor Karolina’s six years of knowing her would indicate that she’d ever be that cruel. Karolina’s mind is already running away with the idea, and now that she’s had it, it’s all she can think about.)

She starts talking before she knows what she wants to say because she thinks if she doesn’t she might cry, and what comes out is the exact wrong thing.

“Fuck, sorry. I just— it was the wine, right? This doesn’t mean anything.”

As she talks, she desperately searches Nico’s face for any sign of how she’s feeling. Nico isn’t looking at her, staring vaguely over Karolina’s shoulder with her fingertips pressed against her mouth, but at Karolina’s words she makes eye contact.

Her expression is unreadable, but it’s not much of a stretch for Karolina to imagine it’s a mixture of pity and regret.

“Yeah,” she says shakily. “We’re drunk, right? That’s all that was.”

There’s a hint of a challenge in her eyes, and a question about if this really was just a rebound is on the tip of Karolina’s tongue, whether it meant to Nico even a fraction of what it does to Karolina.

But her coward brain can still hear Nico’s mocking — albeit imagined — tone, and so Karolina ignores it, and instead nods vigorously.

“Yeah, absolutely.”

Nico gives her a small smile, her lipstick smudged, and Karolina does her level best not to think about how _she_ did that; how not two minutes ago those lips were pressed against her own.

The walk back to the castle is silent. Inside, the ball seems to be ending; the music has stopped and people are trickling out of the Great Hall in various states of inebriation.

Never before has Karolina been so sad that the Hufflepuff and Slytherin dormitories are in the same direction from the Entrance Hall. Normally, she relishes the extra time she gets to spend with Nico. Now, as they walk slowly down the corridor together, she’s never wanted to get away from her faster.

Finally they reach the point where their paths diverge, and Nico stops.

“Well,” she says. “Goodnight, Karolina.”

She puts a hand on Karolina’s shoulder and stands on tiptoes to press a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek, and Karolina experiences a brief moment of madness where she considers turning her head to connect their lips. But she squashes it down before she can act on it, and then Nico is back down on her heels and moving away.

“Goodnight,” Karolina whispers, frozen in place as she watches Nico walk down the corridor away from her.

At long last, Karolina makes it back to her own dormitory, her body a mess of nerves and the beginnings of a headache starting to press behind her eyes. Glancing in the mirror to take off her makeup, the pit in her stomach deepens.

Maroon lipstick is smeared across her mouth and down her neck, and wiping it away reveals a dark hickey marking the join between her neck and shoulder.

She thinks about trying to spell it away, but pointing her wand at herself while there’s still wine in her system seems inadvisable at best, so Karolina files it away as tomorrow’s problem. Instead, she cleans herself up as best she can before falling into bed, only to lie awake thinking about the feeling of Nico against her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy pride, y'all! 
> 
> catch me writing an entire triwizard tournament for the sole purpose of shoehorning a school dance into this fic (seriously tho, this is the chapter i've had the most well-thought-out literally since i started this endeavor, so hopefully it didn't disappoint. also shoutout to jordan for giving xavin the julie treatment so they have a real personality now)
> 
> yell at me on tumblr @lyrikaokano about how long it still is until season 3


	11. year 6.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there are some more triwizard tasks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome to 80% of the rest of the plot of this fic

Karolina wakes up the next morning with a dry mouth and a splitting headache, and it’s a moment before she remembers the events of the previous night. Soon enough, though, it all comes rushing back in sharp, excruciating detail. And once Karolina finally makes it upright, the sandpaper feeling in her throat overriding her desire to stay in bed forever, it’s to find that the hickey on her neck is still there— proof that kissing Nico wasn’t just the best and worst dream she’s ever had. 

She dresses slowly, and now that she’s sober again spends ten minutes trying to spell it off. She fails, but hopes — as she instead covers her neck in concealer — that it might look a little lighter than when she started.

(Besides, there’s a small, traitorous part of herself that’s glad she can’t get rid of it. It’s evidence that last night actually happened; that Nico wanted her, if only for a moment.)

Nico’s not in the Great Hall when she gets there for breakfast, but Karolina spots Gert and Molly and hurries to sit with them.

“How are you feeling?” Gert asks.

Karolina groans in lieu of a response, and Gert smirks.

“You and Nico disappeared pretty early last night.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Karolina mumbles.

Gert’s smile widens. “Really, because it seems like you—”

“ _Gert,_ ” Karolina hisses sharply. “Nothing happened, okay?”

And Gert seems to catch something in Karolina’s voice, because she drops it and doesn’t broach the subject again.

During Karolina’s second cup of coffee, Nico arrives at their table. Karolina tenses, but she shouldn’t have worried: Nico behaves exactly like she didn’t have her tongue in Karolina’s mouth less than twenty-four hours ago.

“Morning,” Nico says, stealing a raspberry off Karolina’s plate and smiling at her.

“Good morning,” Karolina manages.

Gert is looking avidly at them like she’s expecting something dramatic to happen. And Karolina is honestly surprised something isn’t; but Nico just takes another raspberry and starts chatting about what they should do until classes start in a week.

“I forgot!” Karolina says, to distract herself from how much Nico acting completely normally next to her is throwing her off. “Gert, how did your night with Chase go?”

Gert looks at her like she knows exactly _why_ Karolina suddenly remembered, but she nonetheless can’t contain her smile.

“It was good. We— um, we’re dating now.”

“Congratulations!” Karolina says, before turning smugly to Molly. “You owe me five galleons.”

Molly groans, reaching into her pocket and extracting the coins.

“Excuse me?” Gert says. “Were you two betting on my relationship?”

“Nice,” Nico observes.

Molly laughs as Nico offers her a fistbump.

“Gert, it’s not like you can complain. Haven’t you and Chase had an ongoing bet about—”

She cuts herself abruptly off as Gert gives an infinitesimal shake of her head, looking guiltily at Karolina.

Karolina feels her cheeks flush, hoping against hope that Nico is too busy eating the rest of Karolina’s fruit to notice the awkwardness of the moment, and breathes a sigh of relief when Molly hastily changes the subject.

For the rest of the day, Karolina is on tenterhooks that Nico will say something about what happened between them. But Nico never does, and Karolina resolves that if Nico can forget about it, so can she.

(She knows Nico didn’t forget, though. Because Nico is suddenly way less tactile with her. She chooses her own armchair in the common room instead of sprawling on top of Karolina’s and doesn’t reach out for her the way she used to.

Except Nico breaks her own self-imposed rule one day, bringing their faces inches apart to pluck an eyelash off of Karolina’s cheek, and Karolina’s heart just about stops. So maybe the new distance is a good thing.)

 

==

 

At long last winter break ends, and classes start up again. Karolina’s hickey finally fades, and the only reminder that she and Nico have ever acted more than friendly towards each other is the newfound physical distance between them. More important than any of that though, at least for Nico (and by extension Karolina), is the second task, scheduled for the end of February.

Amidst Karolina’s inner turmoil during winter break, Nico managed to crack open the golden sphere she got during the first task and solve the puzzle inside. Apparently, the second task has mostly to do with chess and involves “the thing you’ll miss most.” As a result, Nico spends the weeks leading up to the task learning how to play chess and guilting each of them in turn to take a break from their homework to practice with her.

Karolina’s dad had taught her to play chess when she was little, but she’s not great at it. Besides, that was muggle chess. The pieces were stationary. In wizard chess, there’s no guarantee that your piece will defeat the one it’s trying to capture. So it comes as no surprise when, after only a few days of practice, Nico can regularly beat Karolina in less than ten minutes.

Sometime along the way, Karolina works up the nerve to ask Xavin on another not-date. They look surprised but agree easily enough, and soon Karolina’s breaks are more often than not taken up by coffee or lunch with Xavin.

“You’ve been hanging out with Xavin a lot,” Nico comments one night over a game of chess in the Slytherin common room.

“They’re nice,” says Karolina defensively, watching one of her pawns get clobbered by Nico’s queen.

“I didn’t say they weren’t,” Nico says acidly, but mercifully lets the matter drop.

And Xavin _is_ nice. They’re friendly and charming and have a seemingly endless ability to listen to Karolina talk.

In another life, Karolina thinks wistfully, watching Xavin talk excitedly about the upcoming second task, she and Xavin might have had something real.

And so it goes until the second task: Karolina goes to class, and plays chess with Nico, and spends time with Xavin, and does her best to put what happened between them at the Yule Ball completely out of her mind.

(She fails.)

 

==

 

The morning of the second task, Karolina and Nico are in the Gryffindor common room with Gert and Chase, in the middle of one last game of chess before the task. 

Karolina is playing Nico. Chase is better than her, but he’d had to retrieve homework he’d forgotten in the library and Karolina had taken over. Now he’s back, but had elected to cuddle with Gert in one of the armchairs by the fire instead of saving Karolina from getting crushed.

(He and Gert are cute, but sometimes it’s hard for Karolina to look at them; it’s a reminder of how the Yule Ball maybe could have gone, if only she weren’t such a coward.)

Karolina is a few moves away from defeat, watching one of Nico’s knights wrestle her remaining bishop, when Molly climbs through the portrait hole.

“Hey, Karolina,” she says. “I come on an important mission from Professor Danvers.”

Karolina waits until Nico’s knight finally overpowers her bishop and drags it off the board before she looks up.

“Do you?”

“Yep,” Molly says with mock importance. “It’s to tell you to go to her office.”

“Wow, great mission,” Gert snarks from her armchair. Molly ignores her.

“Now?” Karolina asks, moving a pawn absentmindedly forward, where it immediately gets clobbered by Nico’s rook. “Do you know why?”

“No idea,” Molly says, dropping the affect. “She looked pretty serious, though.”

“Okay,” Karolina says, abandoning the game as a lost cause and getting to her feet.

Nico looks questioningly up at her.

“Hopefully it’ll be quick,” Karolina says. “Meet you back here, okay?”

“Yeah,” Nico says, and Karolina reaches out and squeezes her hand gently.

“Hey, Chase!” she calls. “Get off your girlfriend and come finish losing this game for me.”

Chase groans exaggeratedly as he extricates himself from Gert. Karolina leaves them to it, exiting the portrait hole and making her way to Professor Danvers’ office.

“Ah, Karolina,” Professor Danvers greets her when she enters. “Good, you’re all here.”

Karolina looks around the room to see the boy Victor took to the Yule Ball and Dorrek, one of Xavin’s friends from Durmstrang, already there and looking apprehensive.

“Now,” Professor Danvers says, “as I’m sure you’re all aware, given your personal connections to the Triwizard champions, the task this afternoon involves hostages. You three have been identified as the people the champions will most dearly miss.”

(Even through her nerves, Karolina can feel her face heating up at the insinuation.)

Professor Danvers continues. “So— with your consent, of course— we’d like you to be the hostages your champions will need to rescue. You’ll be put into an enchanted sleep until the task is over, and will never be in any real danger. Do any of you have any questions or concerns?”

Even as Karolina shakes her head she thinks of Nico, expecting her back in the common room. What will she think when Karolina doesn’t show up? Karolina didn’t even remember to wish her luck before the task.

But Professor Danvers is already saying, “Excellent, then we can proceed,” and directing the three of them to sit down.

“Are you ready?” she asks, looking at each of them in turn.

“Yeah,” Karolina says, and the other two — hostages, she supposes — make similar sounds of affirmation.

Professor Danvers waves her wand over them, and then Karolina is falling down, down, down.

 

==

 

The next thing she knows, she’s tied to a pillar in the middle of an enormous stone chessboard and Nico is looking up at her, bloody and bruised and covered in dust.

_“Karolina!”_

With one swipe of her wand, Nico cuts through the ropes tying Karolina to what she realizes as she stumbles away is the white knight. She doesn’t quite find her feet in time, and Nico catches her as she falls forward.

Nico pulls her close, hugging her tightly and burying her face in Karolina’s neck.

“I assumed, when you didn’t come back, that it was something to do with the task,” she says, muffled against Karolina’s skin. “But when we started, and I saw you across the board— I don’t think I would have gotten through the task if it hadn’t been for you.”

Karolina presses her lips against Nico’s temple, running her hand soothingly down Nico’s back.

“You did it,” she murmurs. “It’s over, you made it through.”

Nico laughs a little, wrapping her arms more firmly around Karolina.

They stay that way for what feels like ages. As the initial relief wears off, Karolina notices more and more how tightly Nico is clinging to her. Given that Nico has spent the last two months going out of her way to not touch Karolina more than necessary, it feels significant, somehow.

Karolina shifts, and Nico looks up at her. Her eyes are still watery, and her fingers are digging into Karolina’s shoulders, and it would be _so easy_ for Karolina to just lean down and press their lips together.

But before she can entertain the thought any further, Professor Parker comes and leads Nico away to be patched up before the champions are scored.

Karolina follows, and meets the rest of their friends where they’re waiting at the medical tent.

“Karolina!” Chase shouts, wrapping her in a hug. “Thank god, you’re okay.”

“What happened?” Karolina asks, hugging him back tightly before she pulls away.

“Nico was right,” he says. “It was a living chessboard, except they didn’t just have to play, they had to basically duel every piece they tried to capture. So Xavin was a bishop, Victor was a castle, and Nico was a knight. It was actually pretty cool, they had to work together to get across the board and win the game.”

“And to raise the stakes,” Gert adds, “You and the other hostages were tied to their corresponding piece on the other side, so to get full points in the task they had to get your piece too.” She gives Karolina a knowing look. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nico so scared.”

Moments later Nico rejoins them, her robes still dirty and ripped but all her injuries healed. She slips her hand into Karolina’s as they walk back to the main arena to hear the scores, and Karolina laces their fingers together.

 

==

 

With the second task behind her, Nico has a chance to relax.

(And so does everyone else. Karolina, for one, never wants to see a chess board again.)

And, with the third task not until June and any announcement about what it will be not until May, the year goes on.

In the weeks leading up to the second task, Xavin had spent so much time preparing that they’d had to temporarily call off their lunch dates with Karolina. But now that it’s over they start hanging out again, and Karolina is surprised to find how much she’d missed it.

Nico mostly refrains from commenting on Karolina’s new friendship, but sometimes it seems she can’t help herself.

“They’re my competition, you know,” she says one day, after Karolina and Xavin had gotten so caught up in conversation that Karolina dashes into Transfiguration ten minutes late. “You’d better not be giving them any inside info on me.”

Her tone is light, but there’s an edge to her voice that tells Karolina she’s not all the way joking.

“You caught me,” Karolina deadpans. “I’ve been a secret Durmstrang spy this whole time. They’ve known for years that you were going to be a Triwizard champion, and planted me here when we were eleven to keep an eye on you.”

Nico makes a face at her, and Karolina laughs.

“I’m always on your side,” Karolina says, suddenly serious. “No matter what. You know that, right?”

Nico looks surprised for a moment, and then the almost-invisible tightness drops from her shoulders. “Yeah,” she says.

The silence stretches on a second too long before Nico speaks again.

“You’re not— there’s nothing going on between you two, is there?”

Karolina’s stomach twists. _Is Nico jealous?_

“No,” she says, looking down at the desk in front of her. “We’re just friends”

“That’s good,” Nico says, “It would be way easier for them to get all my secrets if they were dating my best friend.”

She knocks Karolina’s shoulder lightly with her own, and Karolina does her best to calm her racing heart. _Nico was just making a joke. That’s all._

And for the most part, Karolina’s not lying about her and Xavin. There’s a mutual understanding between them that what with Xavin headed back to Durmstrang at the end of the year and Karolina’s hangup on Nico there’s no way anything could work out between them. So their “dates” are completely platonic.

For the most part.

On a particularly nice day in early April, Karolina and Xavin take their lunch outside to eat by the lake. Near the end of the meal, Karolina tosses the last bit of her almond butter sandwich into the shallows and watches as it’s quickly snatched up by a grindylow.

She turns to find Xavin looking at her intently. Before she can say anything, they lean in and kiss her softly.

It takes her a second to react, and by then Xavin has already pulled away, the kiss over almost before it began.

“This can’t happen,” Karolina says. “I’m sorry, I just—”

“I know,” Xavin says, tenderly and full of understanding. “You’re in love with Nico.”

No one has ever said it out loud before, not even Karolina herself, and it hits her like a train.

_She’s in love with Nico_. 

She manages to nod, and Xavin smiles wistfully.

“I had to try one time, you know? Just to see what it’s like.”

“Oh,” Karolina says, finding her voice. “Um, thank you.”

She presses in to kiss them back, just once. It’s short and gentle, and again Karolina thinks _in another life_. 

They never mention it again.

(She doesn’t tell Nico.)

 

==

 

Almost before Karolina knows it, it’s approaching May and their end-of-year exams are coming up. It feels like she just took OWLs, but at the same time this year has felt like her longest so far at Hogwarts. Regardless of the passage of time, they all start studying hard for yet another set of finals.

As a Triwizard champion, Nico is exempt from exams— but for someone with no finals, she seems to spend an awful lot of time in the library. Whenever Karolina is there, Nico claims she has work to do and joins her. 

(Karolina chalks it up to extra work in Alchemy, the one class Nico is in that none of the rest of them are taking. And if Nico never seems to need to use the library when Karolina isn’t also working, it’s probably just a coincidence.)

One evening in mid-May, Nico is summoned to the grounds with the other champions to hear about what’s coming in the third task. She joins the rest of them in the library when she returns, unceremoniously shoving Chase over so she can sit next to Karolina.

“Well?” he asks, rubbing his shoulder dramatically. “What did you find out?”

“This one seems more straightforward, at least,” Nico says. “From how they described it, it’s basically going to be a big obstacle course with a bunch of magical creatures to get past. They wouldn’t tell us any of the obstacles though, so I guess I’ll just have to prepare for anything.”

She turns to Karolina. “How do you feel about reading up on magizoology?”

“I’d love to,” Karolina says, and Nico smiles at her.

“Hey, I’m in Care of Magical Creatures too, remember?” Gert says. Her tone is dry, but when Karolina glances over she tips Karolina a not-so-subtle wink that Karolina decidedly ignores.

“Of course,” Nico says, either missing the moment or choosing to gloss over it (Karolina sincerely hopes it’s the former). “I’ll need all the help I can get. Thanks, Gert.”

“No problem,” Gert says, still grinning in the all-knowing way that Karolina hates. “Anything for the defender of our school’s honor.”

Over the next month, Nico throws herself into studying for the task, going from barely needing the library to spending nearly all her time there. She reviews dark creatures and curses and poisons and enchantments and everything in between.

Karolina helps her, of course. When Nico protests that she’s doing too much, and losing valuable study time of her own, Karolina brushes her off. So they reach a compromise: Karolina can help Nico with tournament prep if Nico can help Karolina study for exams.

The others contribute too, but they cycle in and out— especially Molly, who’s bogged down in OWL review. Meanwhile, Karolina finds herself and Nico basically attached at the hip for the entire month preceding the third task.

Any distance between them caused by the trainwreck that was the Yule Ball has long since disappeared, mostly thanks to the second task; it feels like they spend nearly every waking minute together. 

(And quite a few non-waking ones as well. More than once, they doze off against each other. And on one of these occasions, Molly takes a covert photo of Karolina asleep in the Hufflepuff common room with her cheek stuck to the page of a textbook, Nico’s head pillowed on her shoulder.

Gert develops it. She tells Karolina she won’t use it for blackmail now, since Nico needs to focus on the tournament, but that she’ll save it “for later.”

Karolina dreads to think what that might mean.)

 

==

 

Karolina spends so much time preparing Nico for the third task that she barely notices when exams come and go. It’s certainly not the best she’s ever done, but she’s confident that she at least passed everything.

(Even Potions. It had been a trying two days when Nico had refused to do any preparation of her own until she was sure Karolina understood how to separate a blended poison into its disparate parts, but she had gotten there in the end.)

And, finally, it’s the day of the third and final task.

Nico’s family arrives that morning to support her. Despite staying in their house all last summer, Karolina has only met Nico’s parents a few times. Amy greets her with enthusiasm; but when she determines Nico is sufficiently distracted by their parents she draws Karolina aside.

“So,” she says, fixing Karolina with a stare that makes Karolina squirm uncomfortably. “What’s up?”

“What do you mean?”

“With you and my sister.”

Karolina’s mouth is suddenly dry. “Nothing. Nothing’s going on.”

Amy raises her eyebrows. “Really? Then how come watching you two interact makes me feel like I’m looking at a married couple?”

“We’re just friends,” Karolina says. When Amy continues to stare at her, she sighs. “If there _was_ anything going on, wouldn’t Nico have told you about it?”

“See, that’s the thing,” Amy says. “Normally she never shuts up about you. ‘Karolina did something funny, Karolina won her Quidditch game, Karolina said this weird thing about muggle culture, Karolina helped me in Charms.’ But she’s barely mentioned you since Christmas.”

_Since the Yule Ball,_ Karolina’s brain helpfully fills in. Against her best efforts, she can feel her face heating up.

“We’re just friends,” Karolina says again. “I swear.”

Amy sighs. “Okay. I just— she’s my little sister, you know? I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

“I know,” Karolina says. “Me neither.” 

Amy nods, looking thoughtful.

“Okay well,” she says. “I should go save Nico from our parents. Nice to see you, Karolina.”

With a wave, she’s gone.

As evening approaches, the excitement throughout the school is palpable. In just a few hours, the tournament winner will be decided.

Professor Danvers collects Nico from the dinner table that night.

“Good luck,” Karolina says, pressing a kiss to Nico’s cheek as she goes to get up, and Nico smiles at her.

“Thanks,” she says. She squeezes Karolina’s shoulder as she departs, and Karolina turns back to the table in time to catch Amy giving her an appraising look.

She does her best to ignore it, feeling her own nerves at what Nico is about to face mounting as dinner comes to a close and as one the school rises to shuffle down to the Quidditch pitch. The dread in her stomach only increases when they arrive; as Nico said, it’s an obstacle course of sorts, but one more perilous than any Karolina has seen. She can see at least five discrete parts, each undoubtedly difficult and dangerous in its own right.

In the middle of the pitch, a hundred feet in the air, floats the Triwizard Cup. The course is replicated three times, each fanning out from the center like spokes of a wheel, to ensure that the winner is based on merit rather than sabotage, each champion will be able to get through the obstacles without worry of interference.

The points each champion has from the other tasks dictate their starting time. During the second task, Xavin had sacrificed their own piece to allow Nico and Victor to capture the king. Though they’d been scored highly, they were docked points for failing to rescue their hostage and slipped in the rankings enough that they’re now tied with Nico. So Nico and Xavin line up at two respective versions of the course to start at the same time, Victor a minute behind them at the third.

Karolina can feel the wand blast that kicks off the task in her bones. She barely realizes how badly she’s shaking until Chase nudges her shoulder.

“You alright?”

Karolina manages a nod. She wills herself to relax, focusing on the pitch below where Nico and Xavin are now racing through the course.

Nico makes it through the first two obstacles— a deep length of water inhabited by a pack of grindylows and a thicket containing a combination of Devil’s Snare and Venomous Tentacula— with relative ease. Most of the way through the thicket, a fanged vine winds its way around her ankle— Karolina bites back a warning that Nico would never hear anyway— but she fights it off and keeps going.

Around the circle from her, Xavin is moving just as quickly. Victor starts when they’re both halfway through the first obstacle, and stays a length behind them through the second.

Nico emerges from the second obstacle limping slightly and approaches the third with caution. Compared to the first two it looks easy, just a patch of fine golden mist. While Nico hesitates, Xavin charges right in, and Karolina watches as they stagger. It’s the first time they’ve faltered all task, and she knows that Nico sees it too.

After another moment of pause, Nico steps forward into the mist. Instantly she stops, arms thrown out to the side like she’s been suddenly thrown off balance. For a long moment she doesn’t move at all.

“C’mon, Nico,” Karolina breathes inaudibly, fingers twisting nervously in the folds of her robes.

Far below, Nico seems finally to steel herself. Gingerly she takes one limping step forward, and then another, slowly but surely making her way through. When, after several minutes, she finally emerges out the other side, she collapses to her knees and Karolina lets out a sigh of relief. Another obstacle down.

Nico spends only a few seconds on the ground before rising and continuing forward, moving more gingerly than before. The next obstacle is a sphinx— Karolina can’t hear the riddle it asks, but Nico solves it almost before it’s done talking.

Despite her anxiety for her friend, Karolina can’t help but cheer with the rest of the crowd. The speed with which Nico tackled the sphinx has caught her up to Xavin, who’d gotten through the mist faster.

They’re approaching the end of the course. The second-to-last obstacle is unassuming, just a large chest sitting on the ground. As Nico approaches it, though, it springs open, and a plume of dark smoke billows out. It coils menacingly towards Nico, and she jumps back before it can touch her, shooting beams of light that have no effect. The smoke grows, expanding into a cloud that moves faster until it threatens to envelop Nico, every spell she sends at it traveling harmlessly through.

Karolina fights down a scream as Nico stumbles and falls backwards and the cloud of smoke bears down on her. Nico lifts her wand, calling out a spell that whips at the air around her clothes, and this one, finally, seems to have an effect. Nico gets to her feet as a miniature whirlwind whips its way through the smoke, dragging it up and away until it dissipates to nothing.

Nico dives into the now-unprotected chest, emerging with a small object clutched tightly in her fist. She races with it to the last obstacle, a hippogriff chained to the ground just under where the Cup hovers, skidding to a stop in front of it. Karolina holds her breath as, just a few meters away, Xavin mirrors Nico’s movements.

Xavin’s hippogriff bows back to them a second before Nico’s does. Nico races to unlock the hippogriff’s chains with what Karolina now realizes is a key retrieved from the previous obstacle, leaping onto its back and launching it into the air, but Xavin is ahead of her and grabs the Cup when Nico is still ten feet down.

Nico slumps back in defeat, guiding her hippogriff down to the ground, as Xavin soars around the Quidditch pitch, the Cup held high. The crowd roars, and Karolina can’t help but cheer along with them. She might have been rooting for Nico, but there’s no doubt that Xavin earned this.

 

==

 

Once the task is over Karolina and the others get caught up in the press of people leaving the stands, so it takes them a minute to find Nico. She’s once again back at the first aid tent, her pant leg rolled up past the shin for the medic to fix whatever the Venomous Tentacula did to her ankle. Her face lights up when they enter, and she hops off the table to accept Karolina’s hug.

“Congratulations,” Karolina says, holding Nico tight against her.

“You know I didn’t win, right?” Nico laughs.

“You’ll always be a winner in our book,” Chase says fondly.

Nico rolls her eyes. “Yeah, okay.”

“Really, though,” Karolina says, finally pulling out of Nico’s embrace. “I— _we_ love you.”

(Except she’s not quite sure how she means it.

Because she loves Nico as a friend, of _course_ she does.

But in the months since the Yule Ball her crush has turned into something that feels a lot like love.)

“I love you, too,” Nico says, squeezing her hand. And Karolina wonders (hopes) if maybe Nico, too, feels it as something more.

But then Nico says, “All of you,” and the thought dies before it can even fully form.

“Oh my god, did Nico just admit she likes us?” Gert faux-gasps.

“Watch it, Yorkes,” Nico warns, but the threat is softened by Molly almost knocking Nico over in a hug a second later.

And Karolina thinks, as the rest of them join in a group hug with a futilely protesting Nico at the center, that she may not have Nico quite the way she wants, but this is pretty great too.

As they leave the tent, Nico grabs for Karolina’s arm, holding her back. The others continue walking, distracted with their celebration plans for later.

“We should talk,” Nico whispers. Something in her expression makes Karolina’s heart beat faster, but she’s misread things too many times before to allow herself any measure of hope. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Xavin and their friends making their way out of the stadium.

“Sure,” she says. “Let me go say congrats to Xavin first? I’ll be right back.”

Nico nods distractedly. Karolina darts away after Xavin, catching up just as they reach the exit.

“Xavin!” she calls.

Xavin turns around, their face lighting up at the sight of Karolina.

“I just wanted to say congratulations,” Karolina says. “You did a great job tonight, you deserve it.”

“Thank you,” Xavin says. “I had some good competition.”

“Are you headed back to Durmstrang?” Karolina asks.

“Not for a few days, but yes. Our headmaster wants time for an all-school celebration before the summer holiday.” They grimace slightly.

“Okay, well. Don’t leave without saying good-bye.”

Xavin smiles. “I won’t. Don’t let me keep you right now, though. Looks like you have someone important to get back to.” They nod at Nico across the pitch.

Karolina blushes, pulling Xavin into a hug to cover it up. “Okay, see you later. Congrats again.”

“I’ll see you around, Karolina,” Xavin says, hugging Karolina back tightly. They depart with a final wave, and Karolina hurries back to Nico.

Nico is standing in the exact spot where Karolina had left her, a crease between her eyebrows and eyes fixed on Xavin’s retreating figure. She starts as Karolina approaches, face relaxing as she tears her eyes away from Xavin.

“Ready to go?” Nico asks.

“Yep,” Karolina says. She takes Nico’s hand as they head back towards the castle. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“It— it’s not important,” Nico says. “Nevermind.”

Karolina frowns. “You sure? You sounded pretty serious earlier.”

“Yeah,” Nico says. “It’s nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen they're the Most oblivious i don't make the rules
> 
> we're getting there!! i'm thinking this is going to be 2 more chapters, but i'm not setting the upper limit yet bc i know myself and i don't trust her


	12. year 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> karolina makes quidditch captain and gert is (almost) as helpful as she thinks she is

Once again, Karolina’s parents are away for the summer. She’s seventeen now, but being an adult according to wizarding law isn’t enough for her muggle parents, and according to them, “two months is too long to be by yourself,” so she goes back to Nico’s house.

(Quite honestly, she would rather be at Nico’s anyway.)

The summer passes in much the same way as the last one: they watch movies, go hiking, play Quidditch, and generally enjoy each others’ company.

There’s just one noticeable difference.

It all starts when Karolina wakes up early on the first morning after she arrives to find that whatever self control had kept them on their own sides of Nico’s bed the previous summer seems to have evaporated. Nico is curved around her, a solid presence at her back with one arm slung across Karolina’s waist.

Karolina goes from half-asleep to wide awake and tense in an instant.

_Shit._

She starts to move out from Nico’s embrace, barely daring to breathe. 

But she’s barely moved an inch when Nico shifts, sighing as she tightens her arm around Karolina, and Karolina reconsiders. Nico’s body is warm and comforting and fits perfectly against hers, and as she lets herself relax Karolina can already feel her eyes drifting shut again.

So she stays where she is.

When she wakes up again two hours later, the bed is empty.

Karolina is willing to move on like she’s done every other time they’ve accidentally crossed that invisible line between platonic and maybe-something-more. It’s a familiar pattern featuring a day of tense silence and an awkward amount of physical distance before they settle back into their usual dynamic. But unlike all those other times, it keeps happening.

Every morning Karolina wakes up to find that they’ve gravitated towards each other overnight, her arm around Nico’s waist or Nico’s head pillowed on her chest or Nico’s body curled around her own.

They don’t talk about it. 

For her part, Karolina is terrified of reading the situation wrong— what if Nico doesn’t mean anything by it? What if she makes a move and ruins their entire friendship?

Besides, they’re having a great summer without Karolina’s dumb feelings spoiling everything. So she stays quiet, and ignores how the feeling of waking up next to Nico every morning is one she thinks she might like to have for the rest of her life.

 

==

 

When their last-ever Hogwarts booklists arrive, Karolina opens the envelope to find a black-and-gold Quidditch captain badge folded into the letter.

“What’cha got there?” Nico asks, abandoning her own letter to perch her chin on Karolina’s shoulder.

Karolina offers her new badge to Nico, who lets out a decidedly un-Nico-like squeal and hugs Karolina tightly.

“Congratulations!” she says into Karolina’s ear.

“Thanks,” Karolina grins, doing her best to ignore the distracting way Nico’s breath fans across her neck.

“We have to celebrate!” Nico says as she pulls away. “Lemon cake, right?”

“I mean, yeah, but— Nico, you really don’t need to do anything.”

“Karolina,” Nico says seriously, putting her hands on Karolina’s shoulders. “This is a big deal. Besides,” she smiles, “you have to tell Chase, so he knows that you’re coming for his title this year.”

Karolina can feel her resolve melting under Nico’s attention. And besides, she _does_ want to tell Chase. “Okay,” she agrees.

Nico beams, “Awesome.” She stretches up to peck Karolina’s cheek, and Karolina barely has time to be flustered before Nico backs away towards the kitchen. Karolina follows, reminding herself for the millionth time that none of it means anything. 

Nico’s idea of celebrating turns out to consist of inviting their friends over to eat too much cake and get drunk in the middle of the afternoon.

Chase is appropriately impressed with Karolina’s new badge when he arrives, whooping and pulling her into a hug.

“I’m taking credit for that, since it’s thanks to me you tried out in the first place,” he says, ruffling Karolina’s hair.

Gert rolls her eyes. “Thank god she knows how men contributed to her success.”

Karolina laughs as Gert and Chase start to bicker amicably.

Molly pulls her into a hug just as Nico walks out of the kitchen, wine bottle in one hand and glasses in the other.

“I have wine and cake,” she says, holding the bottle aloft. “Who wants what?”

 

==

 

Later in the afternoon Chase suggests a game of Quidditch, but after eating their way through two excellent lemon cakes (“Have you seen the amount Chase eats?” Nico had pointed out when Karolina had suggested that one would perhaps be sufficient), physical activity is the last thing anyone else wants to do. They end up sprawled across Nico’s expansive lawn instead, Karolina’s head on Nico’s stomach. 

(And if Gert notices that it’s the exact same position that she and Chase are in, she’s for once tactful enough to not say anything.)

Lying on the grass and passing a bottle of champagne between them, Nico giggling at nothing in particular, Karolina decides once and for all that she’s never going to act on her feelings. Because she loves this, loves being with Nico, too much to ever do anything to jeopardize it.

 

==

 

This year, there’s no surprise announcement of an international tournament at the welcome feast, and the term begins normally enough.

Sometime between all the homework she now has — thanks, NEWTs — Karolina finds time to hold Quidditch tryouts for the team that’s now become her responsibility.

There’s no way, Karolina thinks, watching with pride as the newly selected players run through formation drills at their first practice, that she ever could have imagined herself here. Molly’s at the front, having blown away all the competition at Beater tryouts, and she’s happy with the rest of her choices as well.

She’s even happier with the new team when they flatten Ravenclaw in their first game. Her Chasers fly in sync, Molly and the other Beater keeping them well protected, and her Keeper pulls some saves so spectacular that once or twice Karolina finds herself hanging in the air to watch for a second before she remembers she’s supposed to be looking for the Snitch.

(When Karolina leaves the locker room after the match she’s almost knocked over by the impact of Nico’s hug, and she’s forcibly reminded of another Hufflepuff Quidditch captain in a near-identical situation with his boyfriend not so long ago.)

 

==

 

“Hey,” says Gert breathlessly as she runs up to Karolina three days before winter break, her feet crunching in the light dusting of snow on the ground. Gert’s cheeks are bright pink above the top of her house scarf, and Karolina can already tell from the way she’s wincing that Gert is about to cancel on studying in the library. “Sorry but—” 

“It’s fine,” Karolina says. “We can study another time. I guess I’ll just fail Care of Magical Creatures by myself. It’s not like this is our last test before term ends or anything.” 

“I’d never cancel on you unless it was dire,” Gert says with a huff. “I forgot that mine and Chase’s anniversary is coming up and I have to figure out some way to completely show him up in the romance department.” 

“Ah,” Karolina says. “What happened to ‘not ascribing to heteropatriarchal expectations of female emotional labor’?”

“But I also want to _win_ ,” insists Gert. “Besides, Chase is worth it.” 

It makes Karolina’s chest ache to hear how softly Gert says it; makes her feel like she’s looking in on something she desperately wants but won’t have. She kicks ground awkwardly to cover any traitorous expression. 

“You know,” Gert says, catching on anyway, “one day you’ll pull your head out of your ass and realize Nico is in love with you, and all this could be yours.”

Karolina rolls her eyes. “We’ve been over this before. Nico and I are just friends.”

Gert smirks. “Really? Then how come Molly told me the other day that she saw the two of you making out at the Yule Ball?”

Karolina freezes, Gert’s words sending an icy shock through her body. 

Her gut reaction is to deny it, but, _no,_ Molly is trustworthy, Gert would see right through that. So she instead chooses confrontation.

“Really, Gert?” she hisses, barely recognizing the angry voice coming out of her own mouth. “When will you just drop it? It didn’t mean anything! Why are you so fucking invested in our relationship anyway?”

Gert blinks, taken aback.

“Sorry,” she says, her voice small. “I didn’t mean— I’m your friend, and I just want you to be happy. Sorry if I overstepped.”

And now Karolina just feels like an asshole.

“No, I’m sorry,” she says, and she’s relieved to find her voice has returned to normal. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you, you’re only trying to help. But she just doesn’t feel that way about me. That night was a mistake.” She shrugs helplessly.

Gert grins at her, a hint of her former smirk back in place. “Are you sure? You should give her a chance. I think she might surprise you.”

 

==

 

Instead of writing her assertions off as wishful thinking like she usually does, Karolina actually thinks about what Gert is saying. She puts it out of her mind for the rest of term, but once break starts she goes home and mulls it over.

Because maybe Gert is _right._

(Oh, the horror.)

She normally tries to think about kissing Nico at the Yule Ball as little as possible, but for once she lets herself get lost in memories. Nico had certainly _seemed_ into it— had pressed up against her like she wanted to kiss Karolina _because_ it was her and not in spite of it.

And Karolina had assumed it was regret in her eyes when she pulled away, but what if she was wrong? What if Nico has spent the last year wishing that night had ended differently for all the same reasons Karolina has?

What if she’s spent it wanting Karolina just as much as Karolina wants her?

The more she dwells on it, the more Karolina thinks that might actually be the case.

She thinks about how often she’s snuck a glance at Nico only to catch Nico looking quickly away from her; thinks about the way Nico had whispered _we need to talk_ right after the tournament, the heady weight of her gaze that disappeared once Karolina left to talk to Xavin; thinks about all the times this summer she’d woken up to find Nico wrapped around her in her sleep.

So she resolves to watch her, when they get back.

(As though she could pay any more attention to Nico than she already does.)

And she’s spent so long trying — and mostly failing — to hide how she feels, but maybe it’s time to just give up.

 

==

 

By the time winter break ends and she goes back to school, Karolina still hasn’t decided if she wants to say anything. 

Quite honestly, she no longer has the time. The Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch game is at the end of January, and Gryffindor won their first game as well so whoever wins this one will be the favorite to win the Quidditch Cup.

And the stakes are even greater for their friend group than for the school at large; Chase is trying to win his second consecutive championship as captain and Karolina is looking for her first.

Tensions are already high on the first day back, and they only grow throughout the month. Karolina spends nearly every minute she’s not in class or at practice drawing up strategies and plays and practice plans, bent over a table with Molly or one of her other teammates trying to figure out the best way to beat Chase’s team.

The week before the game, all of Karolina’s careful preparations are thrown for a loop. One of Chase’s regular Beaters takes a Bludger to the head during practice, cracking his skull. Though he’s quickly patched up in the hospital wing, the nurse declares him “still delicate” and bars him from playing that weekend. Instead, Chase is forced to use one of his reserve players, a sixth year named Topher. Karolina knows that Chase doesn’t like him much — he’s complained before that he’s aggressive and unpredictable, prone to excessive fouling — but he’s Gryffindor’s best option.

The morning of the game, Karolina walks down to the pitch with Molly, Alex, and Nico.

(Gert and Chase had left separately. He and Karolina had agreed that, no matter how much they may like each other off the field, they shouldn’t seem too friendly the day of the match.)

Alex wishes her and Molly good luck outside the locker room and starts for the stands but Nico hesitates. She’s already hugged Karolina but she tugs her in for a second one, holding her tightly.

“Good luck,” Nico says again as she pulls back.

And Karolina may have spent the last month mostly preoccupied with Quidditch, but she’d still found time to watch Nico. While she hasn’t yet found anything entirely conclusive, she’s no longer convinced that Nico doesn’t want her.

(Thanks, Gert.)

In fact, there have been moments when she could swear that she does.

Now is one of those moments.

Nico’s hands are still on her shoulders and she’s looking at Karolina like— well, like she wants to kiss her.

But Karolina is hyperaware of Molly behind her, waiting for her captain before what could very well be the most important game of her Hogwarts Quidditch career. 

So she steps back, and Nico’s arms fall to her sides. Her expression is one of disappointment, and Karolina is as sure as she’ll ever be.

“Can we talk? After the game.”

Nico’s face lifts into something hopeful, and she nods.

Karolina shakes her head, trying to free herself from the feeling that she’s finally done something she can’t take back, and watches Nico turn and follow Alex towards the stands until Molly coughs pointedly. She jumps, cheeks red, and hurries into the locker room behind her.

 

==

 

The game itself starts out badly for Hufflepuff, Gryffindor taking an early lead 50-10.

Karolina is soaring around the stadium scanning for the Snitch — if she catches it soon enough, that point differential won’t even matter — when a mass of scarlet robes slams into her.

The crowd roars in indignation as Topher flies away. Karolina wasn’t even near the Snitch when he fouled her. But Karolina barely notices their reaction as the force of the impact knocks her off her broom. She makes a desperate grab for the handle and misses, and then she’s freefalling towards the hard ground a hundred feet below.

Molly streaks towards her, catching her by the robes ten feet above the grass, but Karolina still lands hard. All the breath leaves her body on impact and she rolls onto her back, the clouds above her swimming in and out of focus.

A second later Professor Barton lands next to her, looking down with concern.

“Karolina, are you all right?”

(Above her, she can hear Chase shouting himself hoarse at Topher.)

“I think so,” Karolina manages. She’s winded and can already feel bruises forming, but it doesn’t seem like anything is broken.

She lets herself lie there for another second to catch her breath, and maybe she hit her head harder than she’d thought because she suddenly sees Nico loom into view above her.

“Nico, what—” Professor Barton starts, but Nico ignores him, kneeling beside Karolina. She’s panting, clearly having sprinted from her seat, and helps Karolina sit up with a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Nico says frantically. She brings her hand up to cup Karolina’s jaw, thumb stroking along her cheekbone.

Karolina nods, and some of the tension drains from Nico’s shoulders at the reassurance. 

One of Karolina’s teammates lands next to them holding Karolina’s broom, and Karolina grasps Nico’s hand to pull herself back to her feet.

“Ready to resume play,” she tells Professor Barton, taking her broomstick.

“Wait,” Nico says.

And then her hand is back on Karolina’s cheek, and she leans up on her toes and presses her lips softly to Karolina’s.

The kiss is feather-light and so quick that Karolina has barely even registered that it’s happening before Nico is gone, hurrying back to her seat in the stands.

Professor Barton coughs awkwardly, face red as he mounts his broom.

Karolina mirrors him, rising back into the air. Her lips are tingling, but with a huge force of will she pushes it to the back of her mind.

_Nico kissed her._

They’re going to talk about it, but _after._ Right now, she has a Quidditch game to win.

And, half an hour later, she does just that, beating the Gryffindor Seeker to the Snitch to secure a Hufflepuff victory, 190-80.

“Karolina,” calls Professor Barton as Karolina lands, flushed with victory. “I know you’re excited to go celebrate with your team, but you fell pretty hard earlier. Get yourself checked out before you do anything else, please.”

Karolina waves at him to show she’s heard. She slings her arm around Molly’s shoulders to head to the locker room, the Snitch still clutched in her hand.

She takes her time changing. Now that the game is over and her adrenaline is wearing off, all she can think about is Nico.

“Go ahead,” she tells Molly, who’s hovering by the exit waiting for her. “I’ll see you back at the common room.”

Molly nods and leaves, but it’s only a second before she pokes her head back through the door.

“Nico’s outside. Should I tell her to come in?”

“No!” Karolina says quickly. “I mean, it’s okay. Tell her I’ll be right out.”

Molly grins in a way that’s entirely too Gert-esque for Karolina’s liking, but she goes all the same.

Karolina does up the last few buttons of her robes with shaking hands, stopping before she leaves to run a hand through her still-windswept hair one last time. Her fingers catch on a particularly knotted tangle, and she wishes she had a brush.

_It’s just Nico. She’s been there for every bad hair day since you were eleven, it doesn’t matter._

(But everything is different now, isn’t it?)

True to Molly’s word, Nico is waiting for her outside when Karolina finally gives her hair up as a lost cause and leaves the locker room.

“Hey,” she says as Karolina emerges.

“Hey,” Karolina echoes. “I have to go get checked out, make sure I didn’t get hurt too badly when I fell. Walk with me?”

Nico nods, lower lip caught nervously between her teeth, and falls into step beside Karolina as they make their way towards the castle.

They’re quiet as they walk to the hospital wing, shoulder to shoulder but not quite daring to touch. Every so often Karolina glances over at Nico just in time to catch her looking quickly away. And she needs to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion, but _Merlin_ if she doesn’t want to press Nico into the wall right here in the middle of the corridor.

Finally, they make it to the infirmary. Nico waits for the three minutes it takes for Karolina to be checked over by the nurse and declared good to go, and then they’re back in the hallway and faced with the prospect of a conversation that (Karolina now realizes) has been impending for years.

Without talking about where they’re going, they head in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. Karolina’s heart is in her throat, her whole body vibrating with anticipation, but she can’t bring herself to speak.

Before long the first sounds of the victory party in the common room start to echo down the hallway, and Karolina knows she’s running out of time.

This is it.

This is her chance.

She stops Nico with a hand on her wrist at the same time that Nico turns towards her.

“Can we—”

“So what—”

They both cut off abruptly.

“You first,” Karolina says.

“Um, okay,” says Nico, smiling awkwardly. Now that she has Karolina’s attention she doesn’t seem like she knows what to say, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“You kissed me,” Karolina prompts.

“You kissed me first,” Nico points out.

Karolina lets the statement hang in the air between them, waiting for Nico to continue. Nico takes a slow breath, her eyes flicking between each of Karolina’s as if she can find the right words in their depths.

“When you fell today,” she starts, her voice soft and low. “God, Karolina, that was the most scared I’ve ever been. More than during all the shit I had to do in the tournament, even. You’re the most important person in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever cared about _anyone_ as much as I care about you, and you’re my best friend, but I— I want more. And I have for a while, and I think— no, I _know_ — that you have too, but after today— I realized I don’t want to wait for us to get over ourselves anymore. I want to be with you, _now_. If that’s what you want.”

By the time she’s finished her voice has dropped to a whisper; Karolina actually has to lean in to hear her.

“Nico,” Karolina says.

She brings her hands up to cradle Nico’s face. Nico closes her eyes, and Karolina can feel her shaking under her palms. Karolina rests her forehead on Nico’s, a steadying gesture for both of them.

Nico’s breath hits Karolina’s lips in short puffs, and Karolina lets her eyes flutter shut.

This moment feels fragile, somehow. Even now, Karolina feels like she might make the wrong move; might do something that could irreparably shatter this thing building between them. 

But if she doesn’t? If she can do this right? Everything could change.

She’s not entirely sure who moves first. Nico tilts her face up at the same time that Karolina presses down and in, and then they’re kissing, soft and careful and perfect and everything Karolina has ever wanted.

Nico’s mouth is even softer than she remembers, and Nico’s hands are tentative on her hips, and Karolina wants to find a way to stop time and live in this moment for the rest of her life. She can’t stop the brilliant smile that breaks out across her face, and Nico mirrors her until they’re not so much kissing as they are smiling against each others’ mouths.

“Whoa,” Nico breathes, and Karolina opens her eyes to find the corridor awash in flickering, dancing light. It’s another second before she realizes the light is coming from _her,_ constellations glimmering under her skin, and she lifts one of her hands from Nico’s face to watch as stars in shade of purple dance across it.

She laughs. “I haven’t lost control of my magic like this since I was little.”

“It’s beautiful,” Nico says. “ _You’re_ beautiful.”

If Karolina’s face weren’t already glowing lilac, she’d be blushing. “So it’s okay, then?”

Nico’s response is to tug her down for another kiss, harder this time, and Karolina can feel herself glowing even brighter. But she only gets a moment to enjoy it before Nico pulls back, ducking out of the way as Karolina chases her mouth.

“Don’t you have a victory party to get to, captain?” she asks, grinning.

“Shut up,” Karolina says, and kisses her again.

This one is more heated than the first two, deep and passionate and full of possibility. Nico’s hands wrap around the small of Karolina’s back to pull her closer, and Karolina backs Nico into the wall without breaking the kiss, not ready or willing to stop now that she’s allowed.

She doesn’t make it to the party for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we did it y'all! I have one more (fairly long) wrap-up chapter planned, but we're pretty much at the end. thanks everyone for sticking with me through my extremely erratic update schedule and extra thanks to jordan for remembering that it was gert and chase's anniversary when i didn't
> 
> as always, lmk what you think here or on tumblr @lyrikaokano


	13. year 7.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> epilogue where they just make out for 2k words that’s it that’s the rest of it

Molly figures it out first, when Karolina finally gets to the Hufflepuff common room more than an hour into the party.

“Wow, how long did the nurse take?” she asks. “Oh my god, are you concussed? Should you even be here right now?”

“I’m fine,” Karolina reassures her, “I was with Nico.”

She can’t help the giddy smile that creeps over her face, and Molly stares at her for a minute before her expression lights up.

“Finally! Gert owes me five Galleons!”

“You were _betting_ on me?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t make money off Gert and Chase,” chastises Molly. “Actually, they both owe me, but Chase already lost. He was sure it would be when you were living together this summer.”

Karolina rolls her eyes, but there’s no anger behind it. Now that she knows Nico feels the same way, her friends’ continued insistence that they’re perfect for each other doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.

And as the months pass by and January bleeds through to April, her friends’ predictions hold true. With Nico finally, truly by her side the world is better in a way that Karolina never could have imagined. Classes are harder than ever with NEWTs approaching, and pressure is mounting for Hufflepuff to win the Quidditch Cup, but none of it seems all that daunting with Nico beside her.

It’s silly to think like that, she knows, but it’s easy to forget the irrationality of it when Nico greets her with a kiss every time she joins them in the library.

(Chase frets over the possibility of Nico and Karolina taking the title of Hogwarts “it” couple away from him and Gert.

“Yeah, I’m still the captain of a champion Quidditch team right now, but you’re on track to claim that title, too. What will I have then?”

“Plus, she’s hotter than you,” Nico adds.

“Hey!” squawks Chase, halfheartedly throwing a french fry across the lunch table in Nico’s direction.

“Aww babe, you’re plenty hot,” Gert says soothingly, ruffling Chase’s hair.

“Thanks,” he grins. “Wait, Gert, but you didn’t say she’s not hotter! Gert! _Gert!_ ”)

Karolina’s favorite moments are the ones when she and Nico have a free period at the same time and can put their classwork aside for an hour. The two of them creep through Hogwarts’ ever-changing passageways in search of a private space, or else wander hand and hand down to the lake to twine together on secluded patches of grass by the shore. It’s during these times that it’s easy to forget that anyone exists but the two of them.

It’s halfway through March before Karolina breaks through the fog of new-relationship bliss enough to consider the future. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after Hogwarts?” she asks. 

It’s one of the first warm days they’ve had since the snow melted and they’re laid out in the sun, Karolina’s cloak spread out beneath them. Nico’s head is in the crook of Karolina’s neck, Karolina’s fingers running absently through Nico’s hair as they listen to the gentle lapping of water against the bank next to them.

“Not really,” Nico hums. “Have you?”

“A bit. I mean— I got a letter from America Chavez this morning.”

Nico sits up, suddenly alert.

“The captain of the Holyhead Harpies? Isn’t that, like, your dream team?”

“Nico Minoru, knowing pro Quidditch players?” Karolina laughs, sitting up so she can poke Nico’s cheek. “Is this real life?”

“Shut up, I only care because you care so much.” Nico rolls her eyes.

Karolina grins, “That’s actually really sweet.”

She leans in to steal a kiss, which turns into two and then three before Nico pulls away, breathing noticeably harder than she was a minute ago.

“Wait, so what did she say?”

“She asked if I wanted to start training with them after we graduate.”

“Karolina, that’s amazing! You said yes, right?”

“I haven’t responded yet,” Karolina says with a shrug. “They’re like, the best in the league. I dunno if I’m good enough.”

“Hey,” Nico says, putting a hand on her cheek. “I’ve watched you play for five years, remember? You’re _really good_. And America reached out to you, right?”

Karolina nods.

 “When we get back to the castle you’re going to write her back and tell her you’d love to play for her,” Nico says, and Karolina already knows by her tone that this is not an argument she’s ever going to win.

“Okay,” Karolina smiles.

“Good,” says Nico, with a grin that makes Karolina’s face heat.

Nico kisses her then, slow at first and then deeper and hotter. She pushes Karolina back down onto her cloak and climbs on top of her, and Karolina runs her hands up Nico’s back to pull her closer. They haven’t done much more than make out, yet, the inherent lack of privacy that comes from living on school property compounded by the newness they still feel, both terrified of screwing it up.

But Karolina wants _more_ , with a desperation that’s scary but exciting. She wants to push Nico’s robes off her shoulders, and for Nico’s lips on her jaw to continue down past the neck of her shirt.

And she wants to tell Nico that she loves her.

But they haven’t even been together two months— it’s too soon.

(Even though it feels inevitable, and she’s been in love with Nico for years.)

Except they also have Charms in twenty minutes, so for now she settles for digging her fingertips into Nico’s shoulders as Nico sucks a bruise into her neck, and hopes that conveys a fraction of how much she feels.

 

==

 

Hufflepuff’s last Quidditch match of the season is in May, against Slytherin. If they win, the Quidditch Cup is theirs.

If they don’t— well, they’re still in with a shot, but Gryffindor is favored to beat Ravenclaw next week by a fair margin, and it’s likely they would take it.

As she kicks off the ground for her last ever Quidditch game at Hogwarts, Karolina can’t help feel that everything is falling into place. Since the tournament superseded the cup last year, the last time she played Slytherin was two years ago, when she and Nico weren’t talking. Nico didn’t even come to the game. But today before she left for warmups, she looped her Hufflepuff scarf around Nico’s neck and reeled her in for a kiss, and now as she rises into the air she can see Nico with the rest of their friends in the stands still wearing her scarf.

She feels unstoppable.

And she’s not actually too far off, because forty-seven hard fought minutes later Hufflepuff are Quidditch champions.

Karolina sinks to Earth, smashed at the center of her team, all of them yelling triumphantly. And when she makes it to the ground Nico and Alex and Gert and Chase are there, so she finally extricates herself from her teammates only to be sandwiched in another group hug.

Eventually the rest of them peel off and it’s just her and Nico grinning at each other, and Karolina has just started to lean in when Nico dips her suddenly. Karolina gasps, grabbing at Nico’s shoulders for support.

“Congratulations,” Nico says, and kisses her more deeply than is perhaps appropriate given they’re surrounded by both Quidditch teams and the entire rest of the school.

There’s a loud cough to Karolina’s right and they break apart, Karolina staggering back to her feet.

“You seem pretty busy,” Professor Barton says, clutching the enormous Quidditch Cup and not quite able to meet Karolina’s eye, “but it’s tradition that the Cup is presented to the winning team’s captain, so…”

He thrusts it towards her, eyes still fixed on a spot three inches to her left.

Karolina takes the Cup and passes it to Molly to thrust into the air, wrapping her free arm around Nico’s shoulders, and she’s never felt more triumphant in her life.

 

==

 

To celebrate their first championship in a decade, there’s a party in the Hufflepuff common room that lasts all night. All of Karolina’s friends turn up— Chase’s presence draws some muttering at first as he’s the Gryffindor captain, but Hufflepuff’s euphoria at their victory is enough that the curious stares eventually die down and Chase disappears into the crowd, just another tipsy, smiling face.

Karolina starts off the night surrounded by her team, but as it progresses she gravitates naturally back to Nico’s side.

She ends up sitting in a small group of people holding a mug of butterbeer that if anyone asks is definitely not spiked with firewhiskey, half-listening to Molly discuss team strategy for next year while mostly focused on the way Nico’s hand on her waist keeps slipping under the hem of her sweater.

The next time it happens Karolina glances down at her. “What are you doing?”

 “What?” Nico smiles innocently, her fingers skating over the bare skin at Karolina’s hip. 

They’re surrounded by people, but the air between them feels charged. Karolina has no idea what Molly has said for the last several minutes.

Nico’s eyes flit down to her lips, her hand edging higher under Karolina’s sweater and her expression remarkably similar to the one she wore right before Karolina kissed her at the Yule Ball. Karolina cracks under the weight of Nico’s gaze and sets her butterbeer down on the table in front of her. Abruptly she stands up, taking Nico’s hand and leading her in the direction of her dormitory.

It’s not particularly discreet — they have to wade through a decent number of people to get to the stairs, and they’re followed up the staircase by more than a few cheers and one or two wolf whistles — but Karolina can’t bring herself to care.

Thankfully, the dormitory itself is empty. She tugs Nico down onto her bed, pulling the four-poster curtains shut around them so that they’re in their own little world. 

Nico lets Karolina tangle their limbs together, the two of them sharing a pillow so their foreheads are touching. She runs her thumb along Karolina’s cheekbone, traces the shell of her ear. 

Suddenly all the urgency Karolina felt downstairs melts away, like they have all the time in the world. She leans forward to kiss Nico, soft and sweet, and when she pulls away Nico’s eyes are already open and staring at her like there’s nothing she’d rather be looking at.

“I love you,” Karolina says.

Nico’s answering smile is nothing short of blinding.

“I’ve had this dream before,” she says, reaching out to brush a strand of Karolina’s hair out of her eyes. 

“It’s a good one, I hope,” Karolina says, and Nico laughs high and delighted, and Karolina doesn’t think she’s ever been as happy as she is in this moment.

“I love you, too,” Nico says, and kisses her.

The urgency comes flooding back all at once and Karolina presses back into her, pouring her leftover adrenaline from the game and all the love for Nico she’s been carefully cultivating over the past six years into Nico’s mouth. And Nico accepts it all eagerly, parting her lips when Karolina’s tongue swipes across them and curling her hand around the back of Karolina’s neck.

Karolina rolls on top of her, straddling her waist. Her arms bracket Nico’s head as they kiss, and Nico’s hands inch back under her sweater, and Karolina feels like she might combust on the spot. She tears her mouth away from Nico’s to kiss down her throat, fumbling one-handed at the buttons of Nico’s shirt for better access as she goes.

Nico is panting into her ear, and her hands press at Karolina’s back to urge her closer. Karolina shifts, and one of her thighs lands between Nico’s, and Nico grinds up into it before either of them quite registers what’s happening.

Karolina pulls back, breathing hard, so that she’s hovering above Nico, trying to put any distance at all between them.

“Is this okay?” she whispers.

Nico is so, so beautiful beneath her, lipstick smudged and eyes dark and the flush in her cheeks spreading down past her still-askew collar. She runs her hand through Karolina’s hair, letting it come to rest lightly at the nape of Karolina’s neck.

“It’s more than okay,” she breathes.

And Karolina kisses her again, and again, and again.

 

==

 

(Years later, Nico asks Karolina why she backtracked that night at the Yule Ball.

“I was afraid it was the alcohol, that you didn’t actually like me like that,” Karolina says.

“Really?” Nico replies, incredulous. “I thought I was being so obvious.”

“I had no idea! I thought it was just because I was there,” Karolina protests, and Nico rolls her eyes.

They’re in the tiny London flat that they only moved into last month. It’s still microscopic, but it still somehow feels spacious given the one they just left. Nico’s in what passes for a kitchen trying to make popcorn without disrupting any of the potion bottles that crowd the counter, and Karolina is idly watching her struggle from the adjoining room, sprawled over the couch. 

(It’s new— she’s tried to bring in the one from their last apartment and her parents had intervened, insisting that now that Karolina is a “big time Quidditch player with a real salary” she could afford a new one.)

It’s the off season and a Saturday, which means that tomorrow night everyone is finally getting together for the dinner they’ve been talking about for months. Karolina already knows how it’s going to go: she and Chase will talk Quidditch and make a too-high bet on whose team will beat the other this season, and Gert will show off the engagement ring that she swore up and down when she was 16 that she’d never want, and Nico and Alex and Molly will invent a drinking game that everyone else will inevitably get dragged into. 

And Karolina never knew that she could have a life this perfect and never would have thought to wish for it, but now that she does she’s so happy it makes it hard to breathe if she thinks too hard about it. 

“You’re an idiot,” says Nico, walking over to her. She sets the popcorn on the coffee table before draping herself over Karolina. 

“Maybe,” Karolina grins, “but you love me anyway.”

“Yeah, I do,” Nico says fondly.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the end!! thanks for sticking with me through and i hope y'all enjoyed. this ended up being both longer and more weirdly paced than i intended, but i'm pretty happy w the way it turned out (+ thank u to jordan for making it better).
> 
> as always, come yell at me on tumblr @lyrikaokano

**Author's Note:**

> my encyclopedic knowledge of harry potter is both a blessing and a curse because on one hand i never have to consult the harry potter wiki but on the other i keep including unnecessary plot points to keep it canonical
> 
> yell at me here or on tumblr @lyrikaokano


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